"Juntos en el Camino de la Vida"

Buying a Home in Cuenca

2012-02-14T05:35:00.000-08:00

The Yazell's search for a home in Cuenca actually began last summer during our two month "trial run". We looked at a number of condos and houses and made the decision back then that purchasing a house was our preferred route to follow. For us, the desire to have living space "outdoors" outweighted some of the security advantages of a condominium. Deciding the type of home you want to find in Cuenca is probably as important as setting a price range, so we really suggest that anyone seeking to move here do some homework and really hone in on the type of property that makes sense for them. Rental vs purchase is probably the first initial choice. House or condo will probably require a lot of research. Most houses will require some extensive remodeling (by the way, this is probably true of rental as well as purchased property). Location is another big factor. Initially we set a 2 km radius of Parque Calderon but later modified that area. As we explored a lot of neighborhoods and also became familiar with bus routes that allowed us to go beyond own "walking distance" and also helped defined areas we felt were the kind of neighborhoods we would enjoy. There is nothing that beats walking a neighborhood and talking to the people that reside there for deciding if you would enjoy living in that area.

By the time we returned to the US in August, we had a good idea of what we were looking for. We had also decided upon an attorney that would assist us in the closing process. Further, we had met and decided upon an architect we would use for any remodeling needs. In fact, we had estimates for remodeling one house that we decided to make an offer on after we returned to the US. We ended up not getting that house as another buyer out bid us on the price.

After losing out on that house, we decided that we would, as they say, "hit the ground running" upon our return in January. We had made arrangements to recruit the help of an Ecuadorian friend we had met over our summer visit. We emailed all the new friends we had met in Cuenca shortly before our return and nearly every one responded with ideas, references to realtors they had worked with or they sent notes on houses they had seen personally, online or in the paper. We really felt prepared.

There were a few hiccups. Our Ecuadorian friend was in Panama upon our return helping his son relocate. One of the realtors we had contacted was a no-show for our appointment, another emailed and called but took ten days to even set a time to get together and then spent more time trying to get us let her handle our resident visa application than showing us property. To cap things off, Suzanne and I both came down with a case of the Cuenca bubonic "gunkies" which sidelined us for almost a week

You have to realize that house hunting is a very "hands-on" and involved process here. There is no MLS service to make searching easy. Most home owners will attempt to sell property themselves. While there are dozens of real estate agencies in Cuenca, if you are not bilingual, you probably won't find most of them or even their websites. The most easily found real estate websites in English are well executed with good listing information. Quite frankly, while their listings are well presented and informative, they tend to represent the highest priced listings in the market. Also their services can almost be described as mercenary, often charging commission fees simultaneously to buyer and seller and even charging by the hour to show property to prospective buyers. They are obviously fulfilling a need and obviously very successful at what they do. However, the expatriate who utilizes these services will likely pay wel above the market average for property he secures through them. If you are unprepared to do your own market research, homework, legwork and due deligence, these services may end ubeing your only viable and best option.

We were fortunate enough to have learned some of the basics, developed a little understanding of the marketplace and to have formulated a good sense of what would meet our needs. We were also blessed to have been referred to an excellent, hard-working, bilingual, Ecuadorian real estate agent: Monica Rodas Albornoz with Consorcio Cuencea Bienes Raices. Their office is located on Doce de Abril near the intersection of Av. Unidad Nacional. (online at www.cuencabienes raices.com). Within a couple of days Monica had really honed in on the kind of property we wanted (she had even taken the address of some houses we had seen on walks and investigated them for us). We very quickly ended up with two viable candidates. One was a house that required some repair and remodeling so we arranged to have architect Marcelo Sempertegui prepare some plans and a quote. The other house was virtually new, having been completed only the previous Semptember. It had never been occupied due to relocation of the owner. It was a true find and was virtually move-in ready even down to meeting our "gringo" standards for multiple outlets in every room and multiple prewired locations for TV, internet and phone. We decided to go for this house and our offer was accepted within hours.

We had some concern about a utility pole anchor that was implanted smack dab in the middle of our front courtyard so we added a contingency clause to the sales contract. (This is something very rarely done in Ecuador). We were concerned this might cause a long delay but we actually resolved the utility company encroachment, cleared the title, closed the sale and took possesion of the property within ten calendar days.

Suzanne and I are now the proud owners of a 218 sq meter beauty in the western part of Cuenca. We've already met two of our new neighbors and are looking forward in the next couple of weeks to getting enough basics installed so we can move in ahead of our container arrival.

After being vagabonds here, in Thailand, and in the U.S. for the past eight months, we are now looking forward to our new home and base as we continue "juntos en el camino de la vida".

Settling in at Home in Cuenca!

2012-01-30T17:16:00.000-08:00

The past two evenings, the night view from our eighth floor rental apartment has included some spectacular fireworks. Not sure of the reason but they reflect more "pinch me, I'm not dreaming, I really am retired and living here in Ecuador" moments. Roger will be taking a cooking class tomorrow, there's a free Mozart concert on Wednesday and a bottle of wine is sure to figure in the week's itinerary somewhere. We are thankful and blessed to be fulfilling our dream!

We are also estatic that we were able to execute a sale agreement on a house. If everything falls into place as expected, we will be into our new home in Ecuador no later than mid March. In the midst of all this, our 12-IX visa was registered in Quito and our application for permanent residency has been accepted and assigned a case number.

The Yazells seem to have landed...maybe that's the reason for all the fireworks here! In any case, we are joyous that we will soon have a new home base to continue our adventures "juntos en el camino de la vida".

Fresh fruit and produce from the Coopera!

2012-01-20T14:20:00.000-08:00

Pepino Dulce is a slightly less than grapefruit sized beige fruit with purple stripes on it. It's in the cucumber family but has a pear like pulp in a large apple shape. It was one of four fresh fruits in my breakfast fruit salad this morning (apple, pepino dulce, papaya and oritos). Orito is one of the many types of banana found here in Ecuador (this country is the world's largest exporter of bananas). It is about half the size of the banana commonly found in the U.S.A. It has a thinner akin but a richer, denser and creamier tasting fruit inside.

All of the items in my morning fruit salad were purchased at the coopera, our favorite place to shop for fresh fruit and vegetables. There may be some savings and even more variety found at the nearby Feria Libre, (Cuenca's largest mercado, but you often have to buy in larger bulk quantities. That isn't as easy for a two person household to consume especially when we typically eat out often. The almost as affordable coopera is a farmer's coop founded in nearby San Joaquin and all its offerings are otganically grown. The prices are extremely reasonble and will be even more so when we get our membership discount.

Here's a breakdown of our most recent shopping trip at the coopera:

2 large limes .13
1 pepino dulce .62
3 lg boneless, skinless chicken breasts 3.73
1 doz oritos .22
2 large avocadoes .77
1 head iceburg lettuce .46
3 large carrots .27
4 small white potatoes .23
1 large ginger root .35
1 large cucumber .37
1 large red onion .19
3 large red apples 1.02
4 large red tomatoes .72
1 jar fresh organic clover honey 3.01
1 large Hawaiian papaya 1.04

Total: 13.13

Note that the most expensive produce items (the Mac apples and the papaya) were imported. For those that are curious, the chicken breasts worked out to about $2.00 a pound.

Fresh fruit and veggies are a mainstay for us here in Ecuador and we love both the quality and the freshness we get shopping at the coopera. One of the first things we noticed when we were back in the states for a few months was a sharp drop in the quality and flavor of the fresh produce even when obtained it from what had been our favorite store for produce.

If you enjoy preparing your own meals, the opportunity to affordably enjoy the best in fresh produce will become one of your incentives for choosing Ecuador as a home. It has been for us and we look forward to many meals highlighting quality fruit and vegetables as we continue: "juntos en el camino de la vida".

We're Back !

2012-01-16T06:50:00.000-08:00

We made it! There were times over the past seven-plus months when it looked like living out of suitcases and in other people's homes or rental rooms was going to go on forever. However the big day finally arrived...we hit the tarmack in Guayaquil at 5:25 am on Saturday. By 6:10, we were loaded up and on the road to Cuenca.

(note to self...remember to blog later about the drive over the Cajas)

By 10:00am, we were in our LaQuadra rental, our home while we house hunt. By Noon we were wiped out and settled in for a nap! Back up at four to shop (local friends had already tipped Suzanne to the one time only sale at Sukasa and we also needed some things from nearby Supermaxi). We ate out, shopped and returned to the apartment in time to watch a movie and crash at the late hour of 8:15pm.

We were tired but it was good to back home. Besides, we needed a good night's sleep. A walk to the parque and a trip to the flower market was on tap for our first full day home.

As friend Clarke Green oft reminds us: Life is sweet!

Bye, Bye Chico's!

2012-01-13T15:18:00.000-08:00

Back in the 90's when we lived in Pembroke Pines, Florida, I took Suzanne for a beach getaway to Sanibel/Captiva Islands on the gulf coast. It was there she discovered Chico's. Back then they didn't refer to it as "The Original Chico's", the way they do today. You see back then, it was still a small emerging retailer. In fact there were only two or three stores.
It was a love affair at first sight and as their relationship grew, oh my,oh my, how Chico's grew! I remember the opening of multiple stores in Arizona after we relocated there in 1999.
I remarked to co-workers when Chico's went public that I should buy some stock as a hedge against our purchases there. (I should have! The stock price soared to more than twice its initial cost in the first year!)

Suzanne wasn't just fond of a particular Chico's....she shopped them all and she could tell you all the subtle differences. She knew when and what type of new merchandise would arrive and when it was likely to go on sale at a particular store. She shopped frequently enough that at least two stores in the Phoenix market even knew ME on a first name basis and I was always offered water, tea or coffee when we came in together.

I don't know if Suzanne was the true customer inspiration for Chico's preferred customer "passport" program but she certainly was the poster child for its success. Hardly a half week went by without a special email from them. The general jist was " Suzanne, we love you and miss you, please come shop with us again." They were usually followed by a personal phone call from at least two different stores announcing a special discount or preferred customers hours. One store manager even promised cookies and refreshment for your husband. It all worked and Suzanne loved the style and quality of the items she bought. Suzanne's wardrobe is overwhelmingly dominated by items from Chico's.

When it came to our final holiday gathering, she received three Chico's gift cards. Hubby wasn't among those...I had already scored on a vested jacket that was 50% off plus I got an additional 15% special early passport shopper's discount by using her passport id number. The amount of that gift puchase also earned credits toward a discount on her next purchase. (Suzanne trained me well!)

With gift cards in hand and our anniversary coming just behind the holiday, it didn't take long to cash in those gift cards. Our anniversary getaway was a long weekend to Sanibel Island where we enjoyed the sun, the sand, shelling on the beach and, of course, shopping at Chico's. (Interesting how life can bring you full circle, isn't it?). This time, the sign did read "The Original Chico's".

Suzanne thoroughly enjoyed her shopping and used her gift certificates wisely. I scored super mega hubby brownie points for planning a great anniversary trip. And two old best friends got to say goodbye to each other before one headed off to Ecuador.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if someday down the road, our cell phone rings as we're sitting in Parque Calderon and a voice on the other end sweetly whispers: "Suzanne, we love you and miss you. Come shop with us again."

The Yazell's are moving to Ecuador. If you own Chico's stock, prepare for a drop in the share price. You have the option to sell or you may just want to hang on until they announce the company is expanding to South America. My bet is that their first Latin American store will be in Cuenca. I just hope they remember to bring my cookies!

Finishing up the old year: Part 1

2011-12-30T08:05:00.000-08:00

New Years Eve is a traditional time to say goodbye to the old year and look forward to the new. For the Yazell's, it has additional special meaning because we celebrate our wedding anniversary as well. We're at 41 and and counting as we continue "juntos en el camino de la vida".

This new year transition will be especially memorable for us because of the significant changes both the old and new year represent.

Within the first two weeks of the coming new year, we begin one of our biggest transitions ever, moving to a new home in a new country. We're excited and full of expectation and know that there's more new adventures ahead than we faced in many a year. While there will undoubtedly be some anxious moments, we're optimistic about the future in ways we haven't been in long time.

As we look back at the old year, we're amazed at the changes that occurred and the wonderful experiences we've crammed into a single year. Both of us became full time retirees during the year. We've resided a portion of the year in four distinctly different parts of the globe (Mexico, United States, Ecuador and Thailand). We've chris-crossed the US three separate times and have been in 20 states. We done countless garage sales, flea markets and hauls to consignment stores in selling off our 40 year accumulation of personal property (We also helped friends in Arizona, our son in Atlanta and Roger's step-mom in Florida clean out stuff in their down sizing efforts.) Roger even took time to build a new patio for his step mom Mary.

We blogged and logged countless hours as internet researchers. We've dealt with a host of government officials and agencies in multiple locations in preparing papers and documents, not to mention preparing new wills, reformulating 401-k's and countless other details associated with our traveling and preparing to move.

Visits to an old homestead where Suzanne grew up and the church where we were first married in, and overdue visits to cherished old friends in Texas, Iowa and Georgia were also on the agenda during the year.

Let's not forget making new friends. We've almost lost count of the many wonderful new people who fall into that category! My oh my, how our email contacts have grown! Roger's Facebook page which suffered from long neglect saw many new additions including ones from South Africa, Serbia, Italy, Thailand, Mexico and Ecuador as we reached out and explored our new found status in life.

It's simply hard to put into words all the experience that was crammed into this past year. It was to say the very least, eventful and filled with wonder.

We approach the New Year feeling happy, fortunate and blessed, knowing another year lies ahead that promises to eclipse the one we're leaving behind.

To all who read this who were a part of that experience: thank you and may your New Year bring you friendship, love, peace and wonderful experiences to enjoy!

Roger and Suzanne.

Finishing up the old year: Part 2

2011-12-30T07:14:00.000-08:00

As the New Year approaches, we noticed there's still a few loose ends to tidy up as we prepare for the new one which will see us traveling to a new home in a new country. We took a break to spend time in Florida with family celebrating the Christmas season. What a wonderful time it was and how quickly it passed! It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating the completion of preparing our documents and getting our 12-IX visa but that was over a month ago.

One of those loose ends is responding to the request by Mary and Steve from South Of Zero for postings about cost of living and medical/dental care for their roundup. Sorry about our tardiness, guys, but we were really enjoying the family time, the holidays and the time off!

We recognize the importance of SOZ's planned roundup because cost of living and medical care probably makes almost everyone's list as reasons for considering ex-patriation to Ecuador. Both were certainly strong factors in our decision to do so and were on our "questions to research list" as we headed to Cuenca in mid June for a two month trial run. We rented a short term 3 bedroom condo so our rental was a little higher than that of typical residents. Despite the fact that our intent was "trial living", we ate out more than normal. We also did sightseeing and shopping well above and beyond that of typical residents. In short, our expenses for the two months probably reflected a middle ground between full time residents and giddy vacationers. Despite being part residents/part tourists, our expenses were well less two thirds of what we would have paid just for our basic living expenses for a comparable eight week period back at our previous residence in Arizona.

We took time to visit medical facilities during our stay (we even toured the medical museum at the University's old school of medicine..what a hoot that was!). With escalating costs in the U.S. and with Roger being a cancer survivor, both the quality and cost of medical care were big issues for us to address in making a decision to live in Ecuador. An examination of medical facilities and hearing accounts of other expat experiences in the medical care system were overwhelmingly positive and highly reassuring. We proceeded to an exploratory visit with Dr. Gabriel Tenorio Velez after hearing positive feedback on this physician from three different sources on. Our initial visit involved getting acquainted and scheduling physical exams for both us. During that visit, Dr. Gabe assisted in getting Roger restocked on his blood pressure medication. We discovered that the very same medication was, indeed, available in Ecuador but under a different name. A big surprise came when we discovered that the cost (total cost) for a thirty day supply was only $7.03! That was roughly 1/3rd of the co-pay cost alone for the same medication back home.

(Note: we came back with a six month supply...enough to last until we planned to return to Ecuador....Dr Gabe wrote a prescription for six months not because it was needed in Ecuador but in order to alleviate any issues in getting through customs in the U.S. upon our return. Our cost was under $47. That's about the same as the patient copay cost for either two one-month refills or for one three-month refill when the insurance company would allow it!)

Our two physical exams lasted an hour each. We were given a list of lab tests to have done which included all the typical blood work associated with a physical back home. Roger also had a PSA test added. We both had a complete urine analysis done and we added both blood and stool testing for parasites.

We had our exams on a Wednesday, went to the appropriate laboratory for the tests on Thursday and picked up the results on Friday. In Ecuador, lab tests are given only to the patient. They are YOUR test results. A doctor at the lab handled us the results in booklet format and offered to answer any questions. The following week we returned to Dr. Gabe's office with our results. Each of us had a forty-five minute appointment. We reviewed test results and talked about setting up a health care plan for each of us upon our return. We also discussed things to do upon our return to help us in dealing with the altitude change adjustment we faced on the first trip down. By this point in time, we were both certain that this was going to our regular physician. That was before Dr. Gabe offered us a ride home back to our building because we were his last appointments of the day! (We expressed our gratitude but had already planned to walk a few blocks to the centro for dinner.) The good doctor was also concerned about taking so much time for our appointments, explaining that he allocated extra time for gringos because of the language issues (Honestly, his English comprehension was never in question on our part.) We were delighted to have a doctor that cared enough to spend the time and cover our concerns in such a thorough manner..it was our kind of medicine!

We were thrilled with our discoveries. Prescription drug cost was affordable, general medical care was thorough, competent and prompt (We accomplished the entire process in less than ten days from our first visit and could have completed it sooner but for schedule conflicts on our part....not the doctor's or the lab!) The best news was yet to come. Our expenses for the entire process I described above was less than $180.00 including our dinner out!

Hopefully, the above story is helpful to others. We would urge each of our readers, however, to do your own due diligence and research as each person's medical needs are different. The extra time we spent to do our medical research was highly reassuring for us. Affordable, decent quality medical became a fundamental part of our decision to move. We look forward to becoming residents of Cuenca, Ecuador as we continue our journey "juntos en el camino de la vida".

Final note:

We mentioned South of Zero in our opening. If you enjoy reading about Ecuador and aren't logging onto or subscribing to www.southofzero.wordpress.com to read their nicely done daily review of blogs...you should be! It has been a constant checkpoint throughout our exploration process and continues to be a regular part of the way we keep ourselves informed and entertained. The bloggers listed there have provided us with valuable information as well as great insight into life in general, as well as life in Ecuador. The ones we've been fortunate enough to meet personally in our travels have been welcoming and helpful. Mary and Steve, your SOZ efforts are appreciated and we hope to be able to thank you in person when you get to make your transition to Ecuador!

Paperwork Seems Never Ending Part II: "There's a light at the end of the tunnel!"

2011-11-23T21:41:00.000-08:00

For the Yazells, The Phoenix Ecuadorian Consulate Office
was the light at end of a very long tunnel!

Good news: there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

More good news: it's not an oncoming train.

Those statements reflect some of the emotion of the past few weeks in getting our paperwork together. It's been a real roller coaster ride as it probably has been for most people going through this experience. We can't emphasize enough: do your homework, research as much as you, ask questions and when you think you have all the answers, start the process all over again. Just when you think you've got it down pat is usually when you discover...ooops, here's something we didn't know or here's something we misinterpreted or here's something new that we simply didn't uncover. I'm sure it's happened to just about everyone whose gone through this process.

Let's begin by correcting a couple of miscues from our previous blog where we listed the necessary items for the 12-IX and 9-I visa:

I mentioned that the we were using the social security benefit statement to cover the financial security requirement for the 12-IX......WRONG.....we needed a current bank statement showing access to enough funds to support us during the term of our visa...thank goodness we found that out before we came to the consulate for our final visit and application approval process (again you can't ask too many questions and the only stupid question is the one you FAIL to ask!)

The other erroneous item in the previous blog concerned our process for the 9-I. I mentioned we had to get notarized legalized color copies of passports from the consulate to send to attorneys in Ecuador. WRONG again...the consulate office here does not do that. Those color copies have to be legalized IN Ecuador. We will be sending color copies of the first two pages of passports to our attorneys, in fact, two sets, one with a notarized statement from us that these are true and accurate copies. However, they will have to legalized before a notary in Ecuador (our lawyers will handle this and be able to do it without us being present due to the power of attorney we placed with them before we left.

As a point of education to our readers, notaries in Ecuador are very different from notaries in the USA. Here in the US a notary serves to witness and document signatures, verifying that they were signed in their presence by the actual person signing the document. In Ecuador, a notary is actually an official of the judicial system who is empowered to attest to the proper form and legality of a document presented to him. It is two entirely different processes and it is very easy for us gringos to confuse them but the distinction is critically important in getting your proper documents filed.

OK, is everybody scratching their heads yet over all the details? Well trust us, we did a bunch of that but it was all worth while because on the 23rd of November we walked into the the Ecuadorian Consulate in Phoenix with our stack of documents in hand. After thanking Gabby for her patience during all our phone calls and presenting our carefully prepared pile of "stuff", it was wonderful to hear her say "Your documents are just what is needed...I'm very proud of the work you did." Our only "glitch, as it were, was bringing a money order for $400 instead of the $450 that was really required.
(Note: the Phoenix consulate ONLY accepts money orders for payment, some consular offices may accept cash, as well, but there are no payments of document fees accepted by credit or debit cards, personal or even certified checks..again, another of the many questions you may need to ask, what fees and how is payment made?) In any case, while our work was being reviewed and the documents prepared and stamped, Suzanne waited in the consulate while Roger ran for a supplemental money order.

Here's a breakdown of the fees we paid at the consulate office:

Roger's application fee: $ 30
Roger's 12-IX Visa fee 200
Suzanne's application fee 30
Suzanne's 12-IX Visa fee (spousal rate) 50
Certification of Roger's police report 50
Certification of Suzanne's police report 50
Certification letter for Roger's Social Security benefit statement 40

Total paid to consulate: $450

In addition to the above fees, we've paid $10 each for police record searches, no charge for obtaining social security benefit statement, $25 for certified copies of marriage license, $4 per document for apostillization in Illinois, $ 10 per document for apostillization in Arizona plus some miscellaneous fed ex fees and $150 for certified translations. Expenses yet to come include about $1500 in lawyer's, visa and application fees. For readers who have inquired about cost, we recommend budgeting roughly $3,000 for the process. You may get by for less (some people don't necessarily go for the 12-IX) or you could conceivably spend more if you don't do it right the first time!

The office space on the other side of that door and window
is legally considered to be part of the nation of Ecuador!

Bottom line, we walked out of the Ecuadorian consulate with our 12-IX's and stamped passports in hand plus the final items we need to send to our attorneys for the 9-I application. We will still need to register our visas and obtain our censo cards when we arrive in Ecuador in January but after a year of work, it seemed a very special day indeed and we celebrated afterwards at one of our favorite Phoenix wine bars.

One hour after arriving, Roger and Suzanne proudly
display their passports and their 12-IX visa certificates.

As we gather on on Thanksgiving Day with some of our friends here in the Valley of The Sun, we will be giving thanks not only for their fellowship but for the bounties of life that enabled us to complete this important step that enables us to continue....juntos en el camino de la vida!

The Paperwork Seems To Be Never Ending!

2011-11-17T13:05:00.000-08:00

Roger and Suzanne earlier this year in Cuenca,
the city that they soon will call "home".

For the past few weeks, we've been back in Arizona. While we've taken time to visit old haunts and friends, the principal reason for being here is preparing for our return to Cuenca, the city we now think of as "home".

Our projects center around three important tasks:

1. Getting our paperwork together for a 12-IX visa.

This will be reviewed and finalized at the consulate office in Phoenix and will be needed to get us back to Ecuador for our final home search and prep for our immigration papers. For this task we needed to obtain:

A statement of assets or income covering our stay.... (for us a statement of Roger's social security benefits does the job).

A statement of police record for both Suzanne and Roger covering our locale of residence for the past 5 years. This was obtained from the Mesa police department (the city in which we had resided for twelve years) We then had that apostilled at the Arizona Secretary of State's office.

Certified marriage certificate for Roger and Suzanne. We were married in LaSalle county, Illinois so we got that from the county clerks office and had mailed to a friend's home in Arizona. It arrived shortly after we did but we discovered it can't be apostilled here...it has to be apostilled by the Illinois Secretary of State's office. Onto the internet we went to discover how and where to send the certified copies (we also need this for the other set of documents). Because of time we sent that off via FedEx with a prepaid FedEx return but discovered a few days later that mail requests for apostillization aren't processed for 2-3 weeks after receipt. A few pleading phone calls later, a helpful supervisor managed to cut some of the red tape and it 's only taking a week to 10 days (note our crossed fingers, here). We hope to have that in hand shortly.

A formal request to the Consul General for the visa stating the purpose of the request. Since we will be applying for immigration status as part of our stay under the 12-IX, the normal requirement to have attached copies of a return airline ticket should be waived (or so we are told by the helpful lady at the consulate office here in Phoenix!)

Four passport quality color photos of each of us are also required for the 12-IX.

2. Getting our paperwork ready to apply for resident status:

We actually began this process when we were in Ecuador earlier for our 2 month stay. We had retained lawyers in Cuenca and had given them notarized powers of attorney to handle and begin our application prior to our return in January. This will get our applications in before January, the typical time when all sort of changes in procedures occur in the government offices in Quito. As long as the documents and our application are submitted before those changes (if any) occur we shouldn't be delayed.

Passport photos of us (in this case, only two) were need with this application and those were done in Cuenca and left with our attorneys along the power of attorney paperwork and photocopies of our passports.

In addition, we will shortly be sending to our attorneys the following:

Just some of the many documents we've prepared and gathered .

Legalized color copies of our passports. These have to include a statement from each of us that the copies are true and accurate representations of our passports. They have to be notarized and legalized at the consulate office here.

The same statement of income from Social Security, duly apostilled We hit one little hitch in getting that apostille done as the State of Illinois can't apostille an original federal agency document. However, a helpful lady at the Arizona Secretary of State's office knew how to tackle that technicality...she simply prepared a notarized certified copy of the original and was able to apostille that.

In addition, the letter from Social Security has to be presented to and certified by, a consular official here and his statement has to be attached.

More copies of the police reports for Roger and Suzanne (by the way, this is a new requirement added this past year for the immigration application) These are, of course, apostilled.

The apostilled certified marriage certificate is also required here (so yes, we have two copies in our FedEx packet en route back across the country...we hope!)

In addition, translations of the above documents en Espanol have to be prepared, certified as to accuracy and then those are also apostilled and attached to the original documents. (Note: the translation of troublesome certified marriage certificate was actually apostilled HERE in Arizona, not in Illinois. You see, the translation itself and its certification of accuracy occurred here in Arizona and not in Illinois...you really do have to pay attention to the nitty gritty details).

We're taking the added step of scanning our key documents and emailing PDF's of them to our attorneys in Cuenca so they can review them and assure that they are in order before we send them off. Again, you can't pay too much attention to details.

3. Preparing our personal property for shipping to Ecuador:

As if we didn't have enough to keep us busy, we've been at our storage unit here in the Valley of the Sun, revisiting our property we've had stored in anticipation of our eventual move. We've re-examined all of it in order to determine that, yes, we do want to take this stuff. We also had to repack some items based on consultations with our shipping agent as to how to best prepare the items for loading onto an overseas container. Most of our boxes had pretty good inventory lists attached but we had some additional inventory to do and we have to separate our inventory listing from the actual physical boxes themselves. (It is advisable to NOT list your contents on your shipped cartons in order to reduce the possibility of petty theft losses during shipment.)

Items in storage, numbered and inventoried, ready for the container!

We also revisted our items, based on having lived in Ecuador for 2 months and discovered that we needed to add some stuff (we also disposed of a few items and yes, adding items means a little shopping is thrown in here on our "to-do list", as well).

Our lists are being incorporated into an excel spreadsheet that will list each shipping unit by number, list the contents and estimated value. This will provide the basis of a shipping list for our shipper, as well as a list for insurance purposes. (Note, we are insuring for loss en route but not damage to contents. Our shipper advises damage claims are very difficult to process and even more difficult to recoup. However, the loss of an entire container, while not overly common, certainly can and does occur. This kind of loss is easily verified, the claim seldom contested if you have documented contents and value correctly and should be insured for prior to shipment.)

Oh, did we mention that the aforementioned shipping list has to be translated, as well? It's critically important to have that in the same format and style as the English version as this will help avoid headaches and questions when being received and inspected at customs in Ecuador. Having the numbers both large and visibile from multiple sides of your items is also important.

We owe a lot of thanks to our friends, both ex-patriate and Ecuadorian, who visited with us, gave us tips and advice on what to expect, how to prepare and on how to do some much needed homework. The best advice we could give to anyone starting this process is that it is simply impossible to do too much homework and too little preparation. It is, however, easy to overlook what appears to us as minor details that might cause headaches later on. By all means, getting a good attorney is absolutely essential from our point of view. If you are in the USA, taking time to make an exploratory visit to your governing Ecuadorian consulate office is well worth the investment of time, as well. Plan your visits to both well and come prepared with plenty of questions.

In addition to all of the above, we've arranged with friends here in Arizona to be on hand to supervise our container loading (by the time it occurs, we will be either en route or actually back in Ecuador). We also have an experienced Ecuadorian friend lined up to help us with the transport of our items from the Port of Guayaquil to Cuenca and clearance through customs in Cuenca. We were advised by by parties both here and in Ecuador that clearing in customs in the Cuenca is much preferable in case any questions or issues arise. Having an experienced Ecuadorian agent on hand at custom clearance to handle translation and help tackle any issues is also one of the greater investments in assistance you can make.

During the midst of all this work, we have realized that our recent return to Arizona has marked the one year anniversary of when we sold our home here and began this adventure of deciding how, when and where to retire and live overseas. It has been a long, always exciting, sometimes daunting, journey but we remain full of happy and excited anticipation about our future.

We're looking forward soon to a short break from these tasks to celebrate the holidays with our family and then it will be time to move on to Ecuador and our next round of tasks in "settling down" in our new home.

We are, indeed, blessed with good fortune and happy to be continuing our journey: "juntos en el camino de la vida".

Cuenca, Ecuador...how on earth did you choose there?

2011-11-07T08:33:00.000-08:00

"I have two other friends interested in retiring in Ecuador. When you have time, can you share how you chose this country and this city?"

A friend sent me a Facebook message a few days ago and posed this really thought provoking question. Over the past year, Suzanne and I have chris-crossed the country twice, spent a week in Mexico, two months in Ecuador and a month in Thailand and came to the decision that Cuenca, Ecuador will be our retirement home. Some of our friends think we're a little nuts, some are envious of our adventuresome spirit, some simply say "great for you, but not for me". On this blog we've shared snippets and photos of our process and our experience. What we haven't done is really answer the question my friend Debbie just posed...maybe it's about time we did:

Cuenca, Ecuador as seen from the Turi Overlook

We have always been travelers and also have moved many times for occupational reasons in our forty years together. As a result, relocation is not a daunting prospect to us. We first commented on living overseas during a 30th anniversary trip to the Greek Islands. We even took a picture of a run down bungalow with a for sale sign on it and sent it to our son with a note that we were contemplating "moving overseas". It was an April Fool's joke at the time. During our twelve years in Arizona, the prospect of ex-pat living actually became serious when we discovered San Miguel and the central highlands of Mexico. We began taking 2-3 jaunts per year to this region, each time exploring a little different area as a prospective retirement locale. We began reading and studying everything we could on retiring out of the country. That launched the possibility of other locales and led to more research. Nothing we read about the myriad places there are to retire to distracted us, however, from Mexico until we stumbled onto an article about Cuenca, Ecuador. Countless articles and internet searches later, it became a contender. It offered many of the things we loved about central Mexico, colonial architecture, Latin culture, an abundance of handicrafts and art, a simpler lifestyle, etc. There appeared to be added conveniences, as well...having the U.S. dollar as a currency was attractive, healthcare appeared to be both affordable and of high quality, it was much easier to work part time in Ecuador, and Ecuador, as a country, offered some great diversity in climate and geography. All of that made us decide we need to visit. The decision to visit turned into a trial run, complete with preliminary preparations to pull our retirement trigger. (We figured if Ecuador didn't work, we were set to go to our original choice: San Miguel). Our biggest concern was altitude adjustment.

Once we arrived, recovered our breath (both literally and figuratively) and had spent the first three weeks in Cuenca, we knew this was going to be home. It met all the expectations we had going in, the inevitable negatives that arose were easily adjusted to to and dealt with. Most of all, we discovered a climate of friendliness and sense of neighborhood among both the ex-patriot as well as the Ecuadorian people we met.

Roger and Suzanne in Cuenca, Ecuador

What made us pick Cuenca? Here's the quick list of the things we really like:

Friendly people

Old fashioned Values

Colonial architecture

Beautiful scenery

Personal, quality, affordable health care

Public transportation

Parks and plazas

Moderate climate

Abundance of community and cultural activities

Beauty and diversity of country

That's why, today, we are back in Arizona, USA making the final document and personal property preparations for our permanent return. One more cross country trip. a holiday visit with family and then it's off to Cuenca to make it our home.

This kind of retirement isn't for everyone and it can be absolutely overwhelming in scope for those wanting to try it, so let me finish my answer to a friend's question by offering some tips on how to decide if retiring overseas is for you and how to choose a spot.

1.  Know what you want to do in retirement.
If your priorities are fishing, golfing, long walks in the park, etc.; then there's plenty of great spots here in the USA for that. Despite what the idiots are currently doing in Washington, this is still the free-est and most prosperous country on the planet.   But if you enjoy, desire and can handle a real change in lifestyle, go hunt for it and find your heart's desire.

2. Run the numbers, do the logistics:
Lots of people look at ex-patriot retirement because they hear it's cheaper. It is in many areas, but there are also hidden costs most of us don't think about . It's also seldom as affordable as those mailers and magazine cover headlines lead you to believe. Also realize that more affordability only comes with some adjustments and/or concessions in return. You can't find suburban Scottsdale, Arizona living for 25 cents on the dollar anywhere on the planet. Do some realistic financial planning for your retirement. Be sure to include how you can accommodate relocation (and a possible return back to the US, if needed).

3. Go to school and do your homework!
Learn everything you can about any locale you're considering. You need to know about the cuisine, the customs, the culture, the geography, the economy...everything you can. You are going to have to adjust and adapt to a new and different environment, because that environment is NOT going to adapt to your expectations. Make sure the expectations you have are realistic ones. There's lots of resources for information ranging from the library to you tube videos from google earth to bloggers. (Debbie, tell your friends that www.southofzero.wordpress.com is a great source for exploring the Ecuadorian blogosphere and they list a number of good reference sites, as well)

4. Visit, if possible, do a trial run:
Nothing beats mixing with the people, walking the neighborhoods, attending a social function, shopping for groceries, etc. to see if a new land might be suitable for home. If your visit is a short one because of budget, be careful to NOT make it a typical cram as much sightseeing as we can and take all the tours we can, vacation kind of trip. While you will need to satisfy some of the tourist in you, remember that the purpose of the trip is to discover if you can live daily life there, not just enjoy yourself. I can have a great time in the Big Apple but I sure wouldn't do well living there full time!

5. Finally, enjoy the process!
Preparing for retirement can be daunting but it shouldn't be!. This is a special time of life. Make it special by enjoying the process of getting ready for it. Treat each and every day, each and every task during the preparation as a significant step on what is probably one of the most important journeys you'll make in life. It's not always where you are going, but with whom you travel and how you travel that makes the journey exciting and fun.

I hope that helps and hope each of you can have as much fun as we do, juntos en el camino de la vida!

Wat We Visited In Thailand

2011-10-30T18:34:00.000-07:00

Throughout the Yazell's history of travels, we've been fascinated and awed by the religious buildings and art we've encountered. The cathedrals and renaissance art of Tuscany, the Orthodox churches of Greece, the Mosques and Byzantine churches in Turkey, the beautiful churches and cathedrals in central Mexico, and the old missions in southwestern US are all among our cherished visitations. We've also posted on this blog photos of some of the churches we enjoyed in Ecuador in both Cuenca and Quito during our two month stay there.

It's no wonder then that wats, chedis and shrines occupied a lot of attention during the month we spent exploring Thailand.

Strictly speaking, the term "wat" signifies a buddhist religious precinct containing monk's quarters (formally at least three monks must be in residence for it to be considered a wat), a place for meeting and religious instruction and a formal house of worship. Additional structures commonally include chedis and stupas which are memorial structures. Chedis will always contain religious relics. Religious libraries, ordination halls, sites for mediation and a virharn (meeting and prayer room) may also round out the complement of buildings contained within a formal wat and there may be multiples of all of these structures as well as other buildings.

Pra Maha Chedi at Wat Roi Et

In Thailand, however, the term wat can also be used generically to refer to a house of worship, even those of faiths other than Buddhism. In this context, wat cheen refers to a Chinese Buddhist or Taoist temple, wat khaek is a Hindu temple and wat krit or wat farang describes a Christian church. If you encounter Wat as part of a formal name then you are generally in the religious precinct category. These compounds are wonderful places to explore and are among some of the most visited tourist sites in Thailand. Many even offer opportunities to visit with the monks and learn more about the Buddhist faith.

Here are a selection of photos of just some of the wats we visited during our travels

The Loha Prasat is distinguished by concentric square tiers
capped with metal spires, creating a tower structure. Only 3
have ever been built and this is the only one left in the world.

View atop the Loha Prasat of Wat Ratchanadda

The grounds of Bangkok's Grand Place contains several
wats and chedis. One is home to the famous Emerald Buddha.

We traveled by water taxi to visit Wat Arunratchawaran in Bangkok
It is more commonly known as Wat Chaeng.

The detailed mosasics adorning this structure are amazing
and include Chinese porcelain as well as glass pieces.

This prang (spire) is over 70 meters high

The water taxi ride, the view of the eastern bank of the river, and the number of beautiful structures within the compound make Wat Chaeng a must stop for many tourists.

Bangkok's Golden Mount resides within Wat Saket and is actually an artificial hill created by debris from the collapse of an old chedi. The present structure was added along with spiral staircases.

steps leading up Bangkok's Golden Mount

Still more to climb to reach the temple at the top

view of Bangkok atop the Golden Mount

One of the shrines inside

Even more wat filled than Bangkok, Chiang Mai boasts 33 compounds within the moat surrounding the old city along. Added to that are 300 plus more in the surrounding area including Wat Prathat at Doi Suthep,. The 5300 foot elevation is Thailand's second highest peak and that makes this their highest Wat.

306 steps go up to Wat Prathat on Doi Suthep
A tram is available...you pay if you're a tourist
but the ride is free if you're Thai.

The view of Chiang Mai from Doi Suthep

One of several shrines at Wat Prathat.

A white elephant carrying a Buddha relic
is said to have laid down and died at this spot
and a chedi was built to house the relic.

Wat Bupparraram in Chiang Mai is home to a temple structure uniquely built of teak wood and said to be

centuries old.

Beautiful teak wood is the primary material for this wat.

Inside the temple.

The centerpiece of Wat Chedi Luang is the remains of a 275 foot chedi that was built in 1411 but partially destroyed by an earthquake in 1545. It is the third oldest structure in Chiang Mai.

At one time, a large moat surrounded this chedi.

The guardian elephants have disappeared from all but one
side of the chedi.

Wat Pra Singh is one of the largest and most active within the old city of Chiang Mai. It is so named for the guardian lions adorning the entryway. They also lend their name to Thailand's most popular beer.

A temple on the grounds of Wat Pra Singh

Many wats will display very realistic wax figures of revered
deceased monks. One we visited even had mummified remains.

Near Chiang Rai is the very unique Wat Rong Khun or White Temple. It is a work in progress begun in 1997 under the sponsorship of internationally renown Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpitat. It will take at least another 18 years to finish the project. A portion of all his income goes to funding construction. On the day we visited, the artist himself was there, working on the mural in the main temple.

The breathtaking White Temple near Chiang Rai

To enter the main temple you have to cross this pit of tortured souls

Artwork and statuary both exterior
and interior is beautifully crafted.

A view of the main temple from the adjacent grounds of the wat

You will see a variety of figures and even, of deities as you travel Thailand. Virtually all Buddhist temples have guardian spirits represented by animal figures. Remember, too that there are Hindu, Chinese and other oriental temples in Thailand that will have an assortment of decor, figures and deities.

Even the smallest villages we visited had their own wats, some of them very ornate. Religious structures play a very significant role in Thai culture and society. Taking time to visit and explore them when you travel to Thailand is a worthy investment of time:

Each time we visit a new area, we learn a lot by visiting the local religious institutions. It gives us a sense of the people who live there and their best aspirations. More importantly, it serves as a reminder to to be open, courteous and respectful to others as we continue our travels juntos en el camino de la vida.

On The road of life in Thailand with two great ladies!

2011-10-29T10:04:00.000-07:00

The umbrella wasn't for rain, the gals needed some shade!

I spent a month this fall chris-crossing Thailand, seeing great sites, meeting new people and having the time of my life!

We were joined for two weeks of that adventure by Stephen, our son, and various members of Thoom's Thai family either hosted or joined us for part of those travels. However, throughout the trip, two very special ladies were a constant integral part of the experience.

I owe many thanks to Thoom and Suzanne for making the trip so enjoyable. I thought it more than appropriate to share with our blog readers a sampling of photographs of the two of them as we traveled from Bangkok to Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai to Sarakham, Koh Samui and back to Bangkok.

Thoom's Aunt and Uncle
own this restaurant in Bangkok

Entering the Grand Palace

Our first tourist outing!

Learning how to hand forge a "singing" alms bowl.

On the way to a water taxi, there's a market, of course!

On the pathway leading up to the Golden Mount

...and this is???

A fan...essential gear!

An overseas call from Steve making sure we are having fun!

One fun one of four monkeys!
See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil, do no evil!

With Thoom's Mom at The Queen's Gardens near Chiang Mai

Cooling their heels(literally) on Koh Samui

Steve joins us in Chiang Mai and we have dinner at Chez Marco!

Two bright flowers in the orchid gardens!

How fortunate I was to be accompanied by these two ladies!. I will never forget the journey we shared in Thailand...juntos en el camino de la vida!

Thailand is for Kids Big and Small!

2011-10-28T10:39:00.000-07:00

A bunch of kids (big and small) having fun in Thailand!

The Yazells are back in Arizona, preparing for their final move to Ecuador. Getting back to where our big computer is stored means we were finally able to download memory cards from our camera (except for one card Roger has hidden in our luggage somewhere!) That means the next couple of blogs here will be mostly photo montages to catch readers up visually on our month long tour of Thailand.

One of the pleasant surprises was the kids we met. Several were nieces and nephews of Thoom and others were neighbors, if not relatives from her home village. What a delight they were to be with and what fun we had with them!

Before we left Chiang Mai driving across country to Thoom's village, she and Suzanne discovered some great vendors in a Thai marketplace and went shopping for native Thai outfits for all the younger kids. It was a delight watching them try on these clothes!

During our stay in the village, we became the object of much curiosity for these kids (not to mention some of their parents). We were amazed by the courtesy, respect and discipline these kids displayed and the fact that they did so without giving up the fun of being kids. That sense of fun was in evidence when Na Steve (Uncle Steve, our son Stephen) took the neighborhood entourage in a pickup to one of the flooded roadways into town. Our visit there became a beach excursion!

A drive to see floodwaters turns into fun at the asphalt beach

Thai kids are respectful, courteous and reverent...
most of all they appear to be very joyous and happy!

Roger and Khow
pausing for ice cream

Suzanne and Khow
shopping

While all the kids were delightful, one in particular stold the show. Khow, Thoom's niece, formed an immediate bond with the elder Yazells from their first moment of meeting and was prone to holding one of our hands whenever we were walking. We took her and her brother to school on our last morning in the village so her classmates could "see" that she indeed did have some "falang" family visiting from out of the country.

Dropping off Khow and her brother at school.

We departed for Koh Samui and then returned to Bangkok for a couple days prior to our departure. Thoom's mother had already planned to come down to Bangkok to see us off and was surprised when Khow appeared in Grandma's room with spare clothes and announced she, too, was going to Bangkok to see us off. As a result, we got to spend an extra couple of days with the little girl that had stold our hearts.

Of all the memories we accumulated in Thailand, memories of these kids will linger the longest and brightest as we continue our travels juntos en el camino de la vida.

Koh Samui, Life at the Beach!

2011-10-13T06:31:00.000-07:00

Before heading back to Bangkok to prepare for the end of our month in Thailand, we headed with Stephen and Thoom to Koh Samui. The kids had been there before and they thought a few days on the beach would be an ideal relaxing change of pace for Mom and Dad. Except for the rock we encountered on a motor scooter ride that sent us through a briar patch on the side of the road, it was a pretty accurate assessment (No serious injuries...Roger got a bruise and some cuts on his shin and Suzanne jammed a finger which required a splint to allow it to heal properly)

Koh Samui is Thailand's second largest island (aprox 24 x 24 km) and rests in the Gulf of Thailand among a group of about 60 smaller islands. It's year around population is about 50,000 and until the late 20th century its mainstays were fishing and coconut farming. It did not even have a road connecting its villages until 1970. Today, it is Thailand's second most popular tourist destination (behind Bangkok)with tourism traffic that surpasses both Chiang Mai and the more renown island of Phuket. Warm azure waters, beautiful beaches, coral reefs offshore and a beautiful mountain jungle core all contibute to the attractiveness of this island. Situated just 9 degrees north of the equator, it is a tropical monsoon climate with only a one month dry season (February. It's rainfall, however, is much more limited than Phuket and most rains are of short duration and at night. The Yazells almost went to Phuket but Koh Samui won the airfare battle and that turned out to be very fortunate. Phuket had incessant rain and some street flooding for the entire 4 days we spent in the Gulf while Samui had only some brief showers!

The island reminded us a lot of Kaui in the Hawaiian islands. Inner jungle beauty rimmed with villages, beaches, spas and resorts. Both had unique decor airports but Koh Samui's was almost worthy of a coffe table pictorial book with a tropical trolley shuttling arriving passengers to baggage claim and departees from their gate waiting area to their planes. It also had beautiful gardens, open air refreshement lounges and even a giant aquarium above the urinals in the men's room (Clarke, eat your heart out!) Both have an assortment of tourist shopping and dining venues and both islands economies are are almost totally dependent upon the tourism trade. This traffic creates a melting pot of both visitors and residents. We met tourists from down under, most neighboring Asian countries, western and eastern Europe, South America, the Middle East and South Africa.

One of the things we will remember about Koh Samui is that you can do virtually everything on the beach. Walk by vendors will sell you almost everything and that includes jewelry, fine Thai silks and foods of every sort. You can probably stroll less than a 100 yards to a nearby tent offering a menu of Thai massage. (The oil massage is highly recommended by Suzanne after a stessful morning of beach lounging!) We even had a family dinner by torchlight on the beach. The restaurant we dined at had set up tables surrounded by potted palms within 10 yards of the surf. A waiter, maitre d' and wine steward then proceeded to guide us through a delighful, delicious and enjoyable dinner in one of the most exotic ambiances imaginable. Launching a lucky balloon and setting off fireworks as we enjoyed dessert probably enhanced the memory as well. Oh,and it didn't hurt, at all, that the cost for all four of us in this wonderous setting was less than a typical casual dinner for two with wine that we used to enjoy back in the states.

Food will be among our memories as well. While traveling the road that circumnavigates the island, we stopped at a restaurant with a wonderful view from its coastal terrace. I was just as impressed by the sea bass luncheon I had..absolutely the best sea bass I have ever consumed! The aforementioned dinner on the beach also featured the best duck ala orange I have ever had. Cuisine is varied and in many, many cases quite excellent on Koh Samui!

We also won't forget the traveling VW microbus that picked out the junction of a seldom used sidestreet with the main drag and set up there as a streetside cocktail bar. It was complete with sidewalk tables and sound system that poured out grooving oldies from the 60's and 70's. A stop there almost made this old retiree want to grow his hair long again and wish the world peace and love.

If you love the beach, Koh Samui is worth a visit. It provided us with warm days, warm waters and even warmer memories as we headed out to continue our travels juntos en el camino de la vida.

Thailand Update

2011-10-07T01:49:00.000-07:00

This blog posting will be a bit hasty and somewhat brief. We apologize for that. We have been without internet access for about a week and are on a limited access card while staying on Koh Samui in the Gulf of Thailand.

Since our last posting we continued our adventures in Chiang Mai, traveled northward through the mountains, visited Thailand's highest peak and the city of Chiang Rai. We traveled across northern Thailand by car to the northeastern region of Issan where we guested in a Thai home and bug farm in the small village of Ban Muong. (yes, Roger did get brave enough to eat some of the bugs!) We enjoyed being something of celebrities as we walked the village and visited with neighbors both young and old.

You may have heard about the flooding in Thailand. It has been widespread and has done about 45 billion baht worth of damage (about 1.5 billion dollars) We saw some of that and experienced some detours in our travels but weren't seriously affected except for one afternoon of power outage and the inability to take a planned boat trip on one of the rivers.

We had the opportunity to take a couple of carloads of village neighbors to a Thai seafood buffet in a neighboring city where over two dozen of us dined and feasted on squid, prawns, pork, chicken, fish, and more Thai dishes than you could count for. We spent less than the cost of a fine dinner out for two in the US for the entire entourage. Roger was a hit with the kids when he scoupped ice cream for them at the end of the meal!

We saw and climbed to near the top of the largest Chedi in Thailand where you could see parts of three provinces. We traveled by air from the Issan region in northeastern Thailand to Koh Samui in the Gulf of Thailand where we swam in tropical waters and had a wonderful family dinner with Stephen and Thoom on the beach just ten yards from the surf.

Thailand has been a wonderful adventure and we look forward to being able to download and share photos when we return to the US in a week or so. We also look forward to preparing for our return to Ecuador but hope we will be able to once again visit this wonderful country in the future as we continue juntos en el camino de la vida!

Rub it in...rub it in!

2011-09-29T09:16:00.000-07:00

Before we left, nearly all of our USA and Ecuador friends made comments about how much we would enjoy Thai food during our trip. While that has certainly been true, one unexpected memory we will certainly carry back with us and treasure for a long time to come is memories of the enjoyment of a good Thai massage. We have had several of these during our adventures here. The most recent was a one hour foot massage streetside in a bar and restaurant district in Chiang Mai at 11:00 pm before calling it an evening. We lounged in recliners on the front portico of the massage parlor and watched contentedly as the evening crowd passed by (except for the more than dozen others who were also enjoying their massages along side us!).

A trained Thai massage therapist can knead your skin, muscles and tendons plus manipulate your body parts in ways that would probably make the typical midwest chiropactor swoon and faint. The end result of all this assault on your physical being, however, is a nearly thorough sense of rejuvenation and even a hint of physical euphoria. The fact that most massages here will only cost about four to five bucks an hour makes this pretty amazing and memorable, as well.

Opportunities for good Thai massage are everywhere! Malls, street fairs, spas, even kiosks between gate areas in the airport are potential locales to obtain a good Thai massage. There is even a massage center at the outlet store of the Women's Penitentiary Occupational Rehabilitation Center in Chiang Mai!

There are always three things, you're never very far away from in any city, town or village in Thailand: A beautifully constructed wat, a good restaurant or street food vendor offering great authentic Thai cuisine and a spot to enjoy really good Thai massage. We will have many beautiful photographs of the first to cherish. With a Thai in the family and Roger's cache of Thai spices he's bringing back in his suitcase, we will periodically get to enjoy the second. We may, however, really miss really good, highly affordable Thai massage once we leave here.

That's one of the reasons there are probably several more one or two hour "therapy" sessions on tap for us before we depart Thailand and continue onward "juntos en el camino de la vida".

Cuenca and Chiang Mai: Two Cities We Love!

2011-09-27T20:05:00.000-07:00

Chiang Mai, Thailand competes with Cuenca, Ecuador in various listings for the best spot in the world to retire to. It currently ranks number two in most listings and has been in the top five spots for a number of years.

There are a number of similarities between the two cities:

Both have a rich and colorful history that is appreciated and admired by foreigners and locals alike. Both Cuenca and Chiang Mai were capitals of important indigenous civilizations. In Chiang Mai's case, it became the headquarters of the Lanna Kingdom in the early 1200's.

Both have a central core area which they are trying to preserve. In Chiang Mai, this area is well defined by a surrounding moat along which are portions of the old original city wall and city gates. As a whole, however, Cuenca has done a better job of preserving its architectural cultural heritage. Differences in historic construction and climate (wood doesn't last long periods in tropical rains) may be a contributing factor here.

Both cities can be cited for their abundance of beautiful houses of worship. In Chiang Mai, there are over 300 wats (temple complexes) one of which contains a chedi (religious memorial) that dates back to the 1200's.

Both cities offer excellent and affordable medical and, especially in Chiang Mai's case, dental care.

Outside of the core, both cities have ample modern growth, development and amenities. Chiang Mai has more modern shopping centers...Cuenca has more Mercados (called bazaars here)but Chiang Mai has them as well. It even has one that only opens at night. Also on each Saturday and Sunday evening, a long city street is closed and designated as a "walking market". Vendors set up beginning at 4:00pm and you can shop and snack until you drop or at 10:30pm, whichever occurs first.

Both cities have well rated universities which attract their country's brighest young people.

Both cities celebrate their cultural heritage. Chiang Mai's indigenous population includes hill tribes that were refugees from Burma, Laos and even China in the area's early history. Indigeneous people do enjoy more social respect, however, in Ecuador.

Transportation is cheap in both cities. Chiang Mai has wider streets but no public bus system. They do, however, have four forms of taxis: regular automobiles (more expensive than Cuenca), Song Traew, a covered pickup truck with benches. In these vehicles, the price is fixed at 20 baht (about 60 cents) anywhere. However, you will have to negotiate with the driver to find out if he wants to go there based on where the rest of his passengers are going. There is also the infamous motortrike called tuk-tuk and you might even find a rickshaw although those, we are told, are dying out as the drivers retire.

Arts and crafts are in abundance in both cities and each has its specialities. Weaving is common to both areas. Chiang Mai abounds in affordable, very high quality silk.

A fairly high widespread usage of English is common to both cities although it is spoken less in Chiang Mai. However, the usage of bi-lingual signage is more common here. All official signs (highway markers, etc) are bilingual and you have to be in the most rural of areas to see a road sign in Thai only.

Both cities are having an extraordinary amount of rain this year! We thought we would throw that in for all our friends back in Cuenca who seem to be whining just a bit about the weather. Trust me, This area has you beat for rain.....we went to an Isan style Thai
restuarant just before a rain hit the other night and a full inch and a quarter fell before we
finished our meal! (This restaurant was roofed but open sided which is common in this climate).

Both cities are served by a major connecting airport with service to nearby countries.

Both cities are home to growing expat populations. The percentage is relatively small in both cases but Chiang Mai "extrajaneros" are more diverse and include Japanese, Australians, New Zealanders, (affectionately called Kiwis), British, German and, of course, Americans. Collectively (except for the Japanese), we are referred to as falang, the Thai name for guava, whose color our skin resembles. In both countries, the ex-pat population is welcomed and treated well, but we would have to give the nod to Ecuador for both populations doing a much better job of integrating with and accepting each other.

With so many positive and wonderful things in common, it's no wonder both cities are atrracting ex-pat retirees. Each also has some unique advantages and, as with every place you chose to live, some disavantages to deal with.

We've fallen in love with the beauty and wonder of Chiang Mai but the Yazells have missed Cuenca, Ecuador. We look forward to our return home in January but until then we are fortunately blessed to be "juntos en el camino de la vida"!

On the road again in Thailand!

2011-09-21T03:22:00.001-07:00

Before leaving Bangkok, we squeezed in some more dining. Isan Thai, or northern Thai cuisine has become our favorite. Roger even has become fond of drizzling chili powder or, better yet, chili paste oil on his "sticky rice". We also managed to squeeze in a ferry ride across the river but elected not to do a "rooster tail" boat tour because of the high waters from recent rains. There has been flooding in the northeast due to the rains and the river in Bangkok was high enough it had flooded some of the pier from which the ferries operated. We all had to walk bent over on hastily constructed platforms to reach the ferry. In addition to visiting a couple more wats, we stopped in a neighborhood known for its craftsmen and bought a handmade alms singing bowl. Alms bowls are utilized by the Buddhist monks in collecting donations for their temple's support. The singing bowls resonate like a bell when stroked with a pestle. Most are now made by machine but there are three families of Chinese ancestry in a small crafts neighborhood near Bangkok's famous "Golden Mount" that still shape and form these bowls by hand on an anvil. Our Ecuadorian friends will get to try their hand at making our purchased bowl "sing" when we return in January.

There's so much we did not get to see and do in Bangkok but it was time for us to head to the former capitol of the Lannae kingdom, Chiang Mai. We took the one hour flight via Thai Airlines northward to Thailand's mountain country. As we descended into the green and lush Ping River Valley and flew over the historic, moat-surrounded old city founded over 700 years ago, we held hands...so very grateful to be juntos en el camino de la vida.

Some general observations on Bangkok!

2011-09-18T18:05:00.000-07:00

Bangkok, Thailand's capital is an enormous and very spread out city. Everywhere you go there is a curious mixture of old and new....a two block stretch of high rises will suddenly be broken up by a cluster of old buildings. You also are never very far away from either a wat complex or a mosque (Buddhists dominate in Thailand but there is a strong Muslim presence, as well.)

The other thing That is always close by is a good restaurant. Thai food is, of course, an obvious expectation, but you will be suprised at the number of pizza parlors and English or Irish pubs. There is some variety in the Thai restaurants as each section of the country has its own style of cuisine. Our son's girlfriend's family is from northeastern Thailand, near Laos and her aunt and uncle (our gracious hosts in Bangkok)run a successful Isan restaurant in Bangkok. The cuisine there is probably to Thai cooking what southern country comfort food is to family meals back home. There's always a little bit of everything on the the table. Family style service is standard practice and there's always an assortment of fresh herbs, spices and sauces on the side as well as in the prepared food. Trust me, you haven't experienced the full scope of Thai food until you've enjoyed a country Thai breakfast. It might consist of a small salty crusted fish that looks similar to bluegill accompanied by "sticky rice" dipped in chili paste and perhaps served with a side of herb and rice soup mixed with either squid or pork or both! It definitely isn't biscuits and gravy from Cracker Barrel! It is, however, suprisingly good for breakfast and gets you through the day.

You are also never far from someplace that gives Thai massages. From booths in open air markets to kiosks and shops in the mall to very elaborate spas you are sure to be able to unwind the cares of any day with a trained Thai masseuse. We did just that on our second day (is this a pattern developing?). This time we went for the cadillac spa treatment...refreshment served before and after, personal concierge for our group in addition to the individual therapists and a private room and two hours worth of therapy. Did I mention all this cost us less than $20 per person?

We're getting a bang out of Bangkok and we look forward to discovering what else this wonderful land has in store for us as we continue "juntos en el camino de la vida".

In Siam, I Am!

2011-09-17T16:43:00.000-07:00

We made it....Suzanne and I are in Thailand for a one month visit. It only took 25 hours of traveling to get here, including rerouting the last of three planes in order to avoid a typhoon in the making near Twaiwan. After some much needed sleep, we headed out to enjoy our first day in Bangkok. In Thailand, there are four things you are guaranteed to do during your first day: 1. Eat some Thai food. 2. Sweat a lot. 3. Eat more Thai food. 4. Sweat a lot more. We did those four as well as a few more fun things. We visited two wats, (temples) including the only remaining Loha Prasat in the world (there have only been three, the first of which included the Lord Buddha among its occupants). We toured the Grand Palace complex including a visit to the wat which houses the Emerald Buddha. I got started at by a group of school kids on a tour of the palace grounds. Falang staring is a common pastime in rural Thailand but less common in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. (Falang is the Thai equivalent of a gringo).

We were fortunate to finish off our hectic first day with Thai massages. Thai massages involve kneading and moving your body parts in a manner that would make the average midwest chiropractor swoon. Afterwards, you enjoy a couple of hours of almost euphoric physical relaxation and well being. We got to make some new friends whose names we will be challenged to remember and sampled some new foods we'll probably never be able to pronounce. We also came to the conclusion that the Thai alphabet was secretly developed by a cadre of hyperactive kindergardeners during a bizarre fingerpainting class. Fortunately, there's a lot of bilingual signage here.

There are also wonderful things to experience, enjoy and explore in this beautiful and exoctic country. Once again, we feel blessed to be "juntos en el camino de la vida".

On the road of life to help a special Floridian!

2011-09-12T15:10:00.000-07:00

When Roger and I returned from Cuenca, we headed to Florida. We had promised Roger's stepmom, Mary, we would help her downsize. Mary is 88 years old but still lives in her own home and she wanted to simplify. Our son's girlfriend, Thoom, graciously offered to help, so after resting a few days in Atlanta, we piled into the SUV and headed to Florida. We spent nearly three weeks going through everything, deciding what to keep, what to sell and what to donate. We also took time out to play...a little shopping, a few games of cards and a glass of wine or two. Sometimes it was really difficult for Mary to part with things she had kept for decades. But, overall, she was a real trooper! We got everything priced and will be doing garage sales and flea markets when we return in December. Mary has decided she wanted to host our final Christmas in the States before we return to Ecuador. As Mary says....now she can find her Christmas decorations!

While Mary, Thoom and I went through things in the house, Roger built a patio for Mary. It is something that she has always wanted. We ladies definitely had the cooler part of the job! But now Mary and her buddies can sip wine on her new back patio!

Now we are back in Atlanta before leaving on our next leg of our adventures. Our son Steve gave us a wonderful surprise this summer.....airline tickets to Thailand. Thoom is originally from Thailand so she will be staying with us for a month and Steve will join us for the last two weeks. So the next few blogs will be about our adventures from Thailand.

As always, Juntos en el Camino de La Vida!

These hard working gals, Mary, Thoom & Suzanne, were ready
to celebrate the end of nearly two weeks of downsizing.

The Yazells in Florida: Stephen, Roger, Mary & Suzanne

Roger & Mary on the newly completed patio!

Back in Georgia, Suzanne and Thoom cool off while the
guys watched the opening of the football season at a friend's house.
Next stop on the road of life....Thoom's native Thailand!

A Few Of Our Favorite Things Part III

2011-09-11T17:25:00.000-07:00

After two months in Ecuador we have come to love hats and have added the hats made in this vicinity to our list of favorite things. They are almost a necessity if you plan on spending a fair amount of time outdoors. On a sunny day, sunglasses, suncreen (SP50 at least!) and a good Panama hat are your best friends and protectors against what has to be one of the highest UV indexes in the western hemisphere. You definitely need to be conscious of protecting your skin against overexposure if you plan on spending any time in Cuenca.It's probably one of the reasons why the famous Panama hat originated here.
That, of course, leads to the question, why is it called a Panama Hat? Why not the Cuenca Hat or the Ecuador Hat? Chalk that up to several movie stars who made films in Panama and wore this type of hat not only in their films but afterwards as well. In any case, the woven hat originated in the Azuay province of the southern Andes and the hats are still made there today. As you drive into Sigsig, a factory sits on the edge of the village utilizing machinery that was probably installed during the peak of Humphrey's Bogart's popularity. In this village, you will see literally scores of locals weaving fibers into hats as they walk about town. Just about everywhere in Ecuador, you will find hats for sale. We recommend that you buy and use one in this bright sunny climate.

The Yazells plan on becoming regular hat wearers as we continue juntos en el camino de la vida!

The World's Largest Panama Hat on display for tourists to photograph at the hat factory in Sigsig.

Hand woven hats awaiting their turn in the hat mold.

Steam mold for final forming of hats.

Roger's hat in this photo came with him from
the U.S. It is a collapsible canvas type that packs easily.
The photo was taken at the Pumapungo Archaelogical Park.

Suzanne tried on several hats at this shop in Quito!

This one is targeted for purchase when we return!

Suzanne purchased this hand in Cuenca at
Bernal Hats on Simon Bolivar.

Roger's first hat came from Sigsig.
The shirt is Ecuadorian from Cemuart in Cuenca.
The photo was at the Turi Overlook.

Roger's second panama hat was purchased in Cuenca
at La Paja Toquilla on Juan Jaramillo and it rapidly
became his favorite.

If you plan on spending a sunny day walking around Cuenca, don't forget your hat!

A Few Of Our Favorite Things Part II

2011-09-06T03:22:00.000-07:00

During our two month exploratory trip to Cuenca, we did just that....each day we explored what soon became apparent would be our new home city. And what a wonderful city Cuenca is for just heading out each each day and seeing what you can discover. The photos below reminded us of some our favorite discoveries....the flower market, street vendors, street performers as well as impromtu performances on and near Parque Calderon, great plazas for just sitting, relaxing and people watching. There are great shops to discover, greenbelts to stop and rest in and if you get tired of walking, you can take a bus to edge of the city for only a quarter! The double decker tourist bus is a must for new arrivals! Most everyone heads to the Mall del Rio but the greatest discoveries await you in the side streets of the centro and in Cuenca's many wonderful neighborhoods. We estimated we averaged about two miles a day walking in our explorations. By foot, by bus or even by affordable taxi, Cuenca is a great place to be "juntos en el camino de la vida"!

A Few Of Our Favorite Things - Part I

2011-08-29T06:15:00.000-07:00

Presently the Yazells are in Florida, buidling a new patio for Roger's step-mom and helping her down size her house. No internet there yet so this post includes some photos we downloaded at our son's house in Atlanta. One of our favorite things during our stay was all the churhes. we understand they are over fifty in Cuenca alone. We haven't seen them all yet (some will have to wait until our return). We've included many of favorites in the photo montage below and have included some from Chordeleg, Sigsig, Gualeceo and Quito. we look forward to enjoying the beauty of many more when we return.

We're now on schedule to visit Thailand with the kids in a couple of weeks so we'll probably be sharing some some photos of the beautiful temples there in the future.

Until then, we remain juntos en el camino de la vida!

A Note About Upcoming posts:

2011-08-18T19:46:00.000-07:00

Regular readers will have noticed our absence of photos. Yes, we did take a camera to Ecuador with us (actually 2) and we even shot enough photos that we overloaded a memory card for the first time ever (Roger bought the 4 meg card). What we didn't do was to bring a computer other than our portable ipad which has NO usb port for camera download. Oooops, our bad!

As you know, we're back in the USA and Roger has access to another computer and the download is under way. Needless to say, upcoming posts here will generally feature little news but a lot of photos from our 2 month stay. We hope you'll enjoy them.

The next few postings on Roger's wine blog(the first of which is now up)will also feature some photos from Ecuador (www.rogersgrapevine.blogspot.com). These will focus on places where we've enjoyed wine.

We are currently in Atlanta at our son's house and will be traveling to Florida to spend time helping Roger's step mom. We also have an upcoming trip to Thailand to squeeze in before we head to Arizona to pack up for our Ecuadorian return. So following the pictoral essays, keep checking in for more stories (and hopefully, lots more pictures!) as we continue juntos en el camino de la vida.

Sometimes it's hard to say Goodbye....Hasta Luego is Better!

2011-08-14T20:34:00.000-07:00

We are returning to the USA after completing our two month trial in Ecuador. We have every intention of returning in order to make Cuenca our home. The following is an email sent to as many of our new friends as we could find email addresses for. We wanted to recopy here on the blog in hopes of reaching those whom we didn't have email adresses for (or who addresses were tucked away in luggage before we realized we hadn't put them in our ipad yet!)

It reads as follows:

Please forgive us for taking the easy way out and doing a group letter when we really should take the time to personally thank each and every one of you for helping to make our eight week stay in Ecuador a very special and cherished time. Each of you in your own way contributed to making us welcome and helping us to adjust to a new and wonderous locale. As we depart, it is with an assortment of emotions. We are excited at the prospect of seeing family and friends and sharing more fully with them the adventure we've enjoyed for the past eight weeks. We also have learned that we will have the opportunity to visit Thailand during our return stay in the US. It will be an exciting time filled with many things to see, enjoy and do.

But there is a small sense of sadness as well. We realized that when one of our new found friends in Cuenca asked how we felt about returning home. Without hesitation I responded we felt like we're leaving a home here to go visit where we used to live. We hadn't really discussed it or consciously thought about it but in just a few short weeks, Cuenca had, indeed, become home. We were comfortable in this wonderful city, delighted to be in our surroundings and among people who truly felt like neighbors.

Each of you who came into contact with us during these eight weeks played a role in creating that feeling. We are humbly grateful that you did. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Please continue to preserve, protect and nurture the wonderful sense of fellowship and community that exists here. Know that we are anxious to return and share in that community with you and look forward to the day when we add our contribution as well.

To our friends in Ecuador receiving this as an email....please pass along to mutual acquaintances. We discovered we missed getting many email addresses loaded into our computer and we hope our expression of gratitude will reach all we came in contact with during our wonderous time here.

Until we return, know we will think of you and Cuenca often as we continue juntos en el camino de la vida!

Roger & Suzanne Yazell

Good fun, good wine and great pizza!

2011-08-04T09:47:00.000-07:00

As with so many good things and places we've discovered in Cuenca, the source of the best pizza we've enjoyed here was tucked away in an unpretentious nook, with a small sign that was barely noticable. It was the kind of place you could easily walk past without seeing.

Truth be told, we hadn't gone there for the pizza! Fellow boomer and refugee from the 60's and 70's Bill Keyes had become one of our new found friends here in Cuenca. Bill is a long time bass guitarist and he performs with some regularity at the pizza parlor in question. We had gone there specifically to hear our friend "jam". The place in question was Mitti's Pizza (Hermano Miguel 4-37 y Calle Larga). It was easily found because Bill had told us it was directly across the street from Carolina Bookstore.

We arrived at our normal dinner time but slightly ahead of Bill's expected play time so we proceeded to examine the menu curiously labeled Marco's Pizza. It turns out the current proprietor is a native Argentinean from Buenos Aires named Marcos. He was a delightful host and his pizza turned out to be excellent, expecially when accompanied by a glass of Argentinean Cabernet.

A short note about pizza here in Cuenca: While there are many fine Italian establishments in Cuenca, there is a challenge in finding really, really good traditional pizza. Pizza buffs know the three keys to this kind of pizza is crust, cheese and sauce. Crust is not a problem but cheese, as a whole, in Ecuador is OK but not very classy unless you go for the more expensive imported stuff. As to sauce... well this is a country where most people prefer dipping their french fries in mayonesa rather than salsa de tomate(ketchup). As you might image, most pizza is served with a notable absence of tomato sauce. At Mitti's we were specifically asked about the inclusion of tomato sauce (we ordered the Hongos grande with the works on the sauce). Our verdict: yum, yum, yum! No pacquete a via for the Yazell's with this baby despite its grande size!

As to the music, owner Marcos joined in on the jam with our friend Bill. The music later included an accomplished guitarist/ singer from Australia whose friends were enjoying wine and pizza of their own at the front table. At the height of the jam, we were joined at our table by an Ecuadorian friend of ours who had stopped in for a glass of wine with a Canadian client in process of becoming an Expadorian.

So there we were, clientele from Ecuador, Australia, Canada and the U.S. listening to an American and an Argentinean rocking out to the Mexican "La Bamba". That was followed up by the entire room joining in vocally on a version of the Beetles "Get Back". All this took place in the historico centro of Cuenca Ecuador.

Some might call our evening out a very unique experience. For us it was a part of yet another wonderful and blessed day, juntos en el camino de la vida!

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly!

2011-07-24T08:10:00.000-07:00

This past week we sat down with our trusty Snoopy calendar for a family meeting. The Snoopy calendar is an important Tool for these gatherings...it has great, cute cartoons and wise sayings that keep Suzanne from getting too impatient or frustrated with Roger and sometimes, vice versa. In this case, however, it provided documentary evidence that five weeks had indeed passed since we set foot in Ecuador and we were past the midpoint in our exploratory decision making trip. Time has flown by so swiftly!

We, like so many other adventurers before us came down with the intention of investigating, inspecting, and detecting to thoroughly assure us, our friends and family back home that this is a wise, sound and prudent thing for us to do in our retirement. Never mind that deep down in our hearts and bones, we knew we had discovered someplace that was going to be called home the first week we were here. Barring the first morning's panic attack (see the post: OMG! It's Brennie!) and a couple of bouts with sniffles, life here has been pretty much a love fest of activity.

However, we came here with a process and passing the midpoint in our stay meant there was an important task needing to be accomplished! (BIG DRUM ROLL): We needed a list! (note to newcomers: even if we didn't walk different, talk different and act different than the natives, Expadorians would be easy to spot because of our constant usage and dependence upon notepads, business cards and lists!)

So here it comes: The Yazell Annotated List of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Things We've Seen or Learned About Ecuador Midway Through Our Decision Making Trip

THE GOOD:

This is definitively the biggest of the three lists and there's probably a lot we've forgotten to put down, so forgive us if it's a little incomplete. Let's start with some important fun ones like:

MONICA MCNAUGHTON'S BROWNIES!: Suzanne thought I was tryng to be funny when I suggested that but I wasn't.. Her blondies are that yummy!
ITALIAN RESTAURANTS...There's a bunch in Cuenca but La Vina, Meditterranneo And Bertucci's are among our favs.
GREAT FLOWER MARKETS....in nearly all the mercados, plus shops in the neighborhoods, but most especially the market just a block off the Parque Calderon. We always have fresh flowers here!
QUALITY ART AND CRAFTS: The number and variety of artesans in this area is almost hard to put into words. You, of course, have all the stuff you'd expect in a tourist center but with a little hunting, you can find the kind of quality hand craftsmanship that is disappearing in other parts of the world.
MUSEOS: We won't make it through half of them this trip but what we've been through so far (at least half of them for free) is enough to advise tourists to spent at least one full day, if not two exploring Cuenca's presentations.
MOUNTAIN SCENERY: O.K. So we're in the Andes, you expect great views right? Trust me, you're not gonna be prepared for how many times your breath is taken away, not by the altitude, but just simply by the raw, unspoken beauty of the landscapes you'll encounter
ICE CREAM!!!! Except for a rare snippet of Haagen Dazs Rum Raisin, I had given up on ice cream back in the states. Tutto Freddo's is good, (very, very good) but don't leave Cuenca without a visit to MIXX. The quality and flavors wil explode your mind as well as your taste buds.
FRIENDLY PEOPLE: Ecuador has two great assests. Its land and its people. Both are rich and diverse. From children that are always smiling, curious and respectful, to the adults who show reverence for the elderly and respect for each other in ways that many other societies have forgotten, this is a land whose values even rub off on us gringos and makes us better people just by being here and living in a society where sharing a simple hello can give a day nice meaning.
PARKS AND PLAZAS: Public areas and green space abound in this city, not just the historico centro but throughout the neigborhoods as well. If you want to gauge what impact well managed public parks can have on quality of life, spend some time walking the neighborhoods of Cuenca.
AFFORDABLE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: 29 different bus routes go almost everywhere in the city and each ride is a quarter ( discounted 50% for seniors) Buses to a nearby town are in the $2-$3 range. The absolutely highest cab fare I've paid is $3 and $2 or less will get you there 99.99% of the time in the city. Hire a private driver for anywhere you want to go for the day and pay $12 an hour!plus maybe the cost of his lunch.
ALMUERZO: Speaking of lunch, it's amazing what's available for lunch at prices that make it unafforable to eat at home. Oh, and let me add that the Ecuadorians make the most fabulous SOUPS of any country I've been in.
Real quickly, let's add in:
CUENCA SYMPHONY FREE CONCERTS, FRESH FRUIT AND PRODUCE, PANDERIAS, LITTER & TRASH REMOVAL, VARIETY OF PLANTLIFE, RIVERSIDE GREENBELT Y ALGO MAS!

O.K. Just so you know we aren't looking at things through rose colored glasses, here are the next two categories:

THE BAD:
SMELLY DIESEL EXHAUST FUMES FROM ALL THOSE BUSES: great cheap transportion but spend more than ten minutes at a popular parada waiting for your number of bus to show and you'll want to schedule some respiratory therapy.
DOGGY DEPOSITS ON THE SIDEWALKS: they do a great job picking up litter but not the presents our furry friends leave.
CAR ALARMS: The unexpected fireworks and the roosters are becoming part of my circadian cycles but Oh those car alarms that nobody seems to respond to!
HIGH IMPORT TAXES: for me, it's a shocker that Australian wines are among the most expensive heres but it applies to a lot of imports that cost more here or simply aren't available.
PLAYING TRAFFIC ROULETTE: They call them rondelles here. You may know them as roundabouts or rotaries. These circles of traffic chaos and adventure are a pure nightmare for the pedestrian who didn't plan his street crossing ahead of time and is not practiced in the fine art of street crossing survival.
POSTAGE: A great picture postcard costs a quarter or less until you want to mail it then it requires another $2 at least!
LEGAL AMBIGUITIES: Ecuadorians have some of the most tangled and complex bureaucratic procedures, rules and laws you could ever image but everyone seems to accept them as reality. It will be among the most frustrating things you will encounter on your path to living here but take a deep breath, (hire a competent lawyer!), and seek more advice than you ever thought
possible.
Last but not least, we come to:
THE UGLY:
Overall, it's one of the most beautiful countries on Earth but as with everywhere some ugliness exists. Beauty is, sometimes, in the eye of the beholder and I recognize that many of our new Ecuadorian friends will have different tastes than ours. At the risk of offending my new amigos, I have to state with certainty that we are grateful for the affordability of bathroom remodeling here, because in our humble gringo opinions, bright red ceramic fixtures against green and pink patterned tile in the master bathroom IS UGLY!

We may have missed a few things but the critical takeaway from our midpoint meeting is that our GOOD list is bountiful and well out weighs the BAD and the UGLY. It makes us feel blessed to be here as we continue juntos en el camino de la vida!

Ecua-volley anyone!

2011-07-17T13:10:00.000-07:00

Here in Ecuador, weekends are for familia. You see families out and about together all over town, on the plazas and along the river if it's sunny. There's always much shopping at the mercados, in the centro and at the malls. And, of course, every Saturday afternoon (usually rain OR shine) families gather at the courts in the neighborhood parks to watch dads, brothers, cousins and friends compete in Ecua-volley.

Ecua-volley is the unique Ecuadorian version of volleyball and it's nearly as large a national sports pastime as futball (soccer, but don't call it that here!). In Ecua-volley, the net is slightly higher (I'm guessing about 10 to 12 inches; they use a standard soccer ball instead of the softer, lighter volleyball we're used to in the states and the teams are comprised of only 3 players. Scoring appears to be similar and the allowance of three touches is the same except that players are allowed a brief "hold" on the ball with their fingertips. Games are seriously competitive and there is usually two games going on in the standard paved courts in the park. These courts also function for futball, basketball and a rare game of tennis but Saturdays seem to reserved at virtually every one for Ecua-volley as teams gather to wait their turn at entering the court. We've only been to three different sites but it appears that the losing team loses the right to remain in competition while the winners stay to take on new challengers. There is frequently wagering between the teams and sometimes the exchange of cash is not insignificant. That can make for very spirited and intense competition. We witnessed one game in there were at least 3 dozen volleys across the net before a point was scored. Regardless if the game is competitive or casual, there is always a crowd of spectators, usually family members. If the facility is lighted, games may go fairly well into the evening. If the weather is good, pots of food and refreshment will probably appear toward the end of the day. Someone will bring a boom box and the band of victors, losers and spectators begins to blend into a neighborly gathering reminiscent of a large family reunion and picnic. On one of the first Saturdays we spent in our rental apartment, the gathering in the court behind our building lasted late into the night. Part of it then moved just down the street to a neighbors house and lasted until the wee hours of the morning. It may have kept us up alittle but the fun had by all involved was obvious.

The regular gathering of family and friends, including the weekly Ecua-volley games, are part of an enviable pattern of life here in Ecuador. Family, fun, sharing and fellowship are among some of society's best virtues here. We are delighted at being exposed to and sharing in it as we continue onward juntos en el camino de la vida!

O-setenta-tres! Having fun at Te-Bingo.

2011-07-10T08:04:00.000-07:00

Monica's email said come join us for bingo and and a tea at the Oro Verde. The cost was five dollars per person and proceeds would benefit The Messengers of Peace Foundation. Their neighbors Mario and Yolanda were active in this charitable group. They explained that the charity supported a country rehabilitation center, school and even a foster home program for handicapped orphans.

It sounded like a worthwhile charity and once again, it looked like rain, so off to "Te Bingo" we went. It was a good decision and a delightful time was had in the fellowship of our tableful of new Expadorian friends and a gracious roomful of Ecuadorian hosts that made us feel quite welcome.

The afternoon also brought home a reminder that, as newcomers in this Spanish speaking land, it is fairly helpful (even essential) to know and understand a few key phrases "en espanol".
The utility of being able to ask "?Donde es el bano." comes to mind as one of the most obvious examples. Knowing commonly used numbers in Spanish is also helpful in terms of doing everyday shopping, asking what bus to take, etc. But here, just knowing the spanish number is only half the battle. With numerals, more than any other spanish words, it can be easy to become confused as to what you're hearing when spoken back to you. Carrying a calculator and pointing can help and is probably reccomended in a significant purchase negotiation. That's not always practical, however, in a busy shopping environment with impatient customers behind you. You simply need to learn those numbers!

And that, dear friends, brings us back to our afternoon of bingo. It turned out to be the perfect way to get in nearly two hours of practice in learning our numerales en espanol! I'm happy to report the lesson was good and the Yazells made significant progress in being able to understand the costs quickly thrown at us the next time we peruse the produce at the mercado. We still need extra practice on the numbers in the 60's (sesenta) and the 70's (setenta)because they often still sound alike to us. It was somewhat conforting to notice that even bilingual Mario who had graciously joined our table to help us with the numbers had to turn on occaision to the number board to determine the number that had been called.

We had a fun afternoon and we felt good in contributing to a worthy cause. We also left determined to do more practice on our numbers as we continue our travels, juntos en el camino de la vida!

Huffing, Puffing, Developing Calves of Steel, in Search of Great Almuerzo!

2011-07-02T20:17:00.000-07:00

As we enter week three of our Ecuadorian exploration, we continue to be blessed with making new friends as well as getting great advice and insight from some experienced Expadorians. Roger even got a chance to make a little profit at Texas Hold Em night (always nice to go home a winner!) but the greatest riches continue to come from our interactions with the people here, both Expadorian and local.

We continue to adapt to the altitude and are beginning to cope with that well. Of course, walking up to 4 miles a day probably has helped the adjustment. We spend a portion of each day exploring a new section of this city on foot. After getting a bus route guide downtown, we also are utilizing buses more. Often, we'll take the bus to a new area we've targeted to explore, then spend a couple of hours or more walking and exploring that part of town. Sometimes our return is a walk back, but as we venture farther away, a bus ride home has become more frequent. Both usually mean that we still have to tackle "heart attack hill". From the bus stop to our edificio is about a 1.5 block walk up what has to be a fifteen degree incline. We've seen some cars struggle to make this beastie! Our first attempt required three rest stops and we generally still take at least one. Recently, we did make it in one continuous trip. We would have done the "Rocky" victory dance at the top but we were too busy huffing and puffing for breath. Suzanne says Ecuador will either give us "calves of steel" or make us prime candidates for knee surgery. We are, however, getting in great shape learning this city and we're loving the process!

Since we are out almost every day, we frequently eat out for lunch or, as they say here, almuerzo. Many blogs have been written about the almuerzo specials available in this city. Most consist of a small bread, a protein dish (meat, beans, sometimes both), lots of rice, and a veggie dish or at least a little lettuce, tomato and avacado. A small sweet bread and and beverage are usually included. Some add or at least offer soup as well. (Ecuadorians generally excel at their soups!). It is almost impossible to walk more than 4 blocks in this city without seeing small cafes, cafeterias or restaurants offering these daily specials. If you spend more than $5 per person, you qualify as a ravenous glutton. We have even spent less than $5 for the two of us and have been pressed to consume all we were served. Does quality sometimes vary? Of course, but that's been part of the fun! We love searching for those gems that offer the standard dishes at competitive prices but where the quality of the ingredients and the preparation of the foods stands above the competition. A recent such find in the Centro may be of interest to our new friends locally since it only opened this June. It is Restaurante Cilantro on Juan Jaramillo (8-86) near Benigno Malo. Our almuerzo there began with an absolutely awesome creamy chicken/noodle/mushroom soup. The rest of the ingredients, while standard fare, was quite excellent in both quality and presentation. After reviewing this restaurant's regular menu and wine list, we're planning to return for dinner as well.

We'll report back in a future as to whether owner Marco Prado wows us as much with dinner as he did with his menu a la dia. His was probably our best almuerzo so far in Cuenca.

We do, of course, plan to keep looking for more great places to eat, to keep exploring this wonderful city and to keep developing those leg muscles as we remain: juntos en el camino de la vida!

Wine in Ecuador

2011-06-25T19:59:00.000-07:00

During our cross country trip and our initial foray into Ecuador, I took a sabbatical on my wine blog, Roger's Grapevine (www.rogersgrapvine.blogspot.com). It probably didn't come as a surprise to friends and readers who knew of our plans to explore Ecuador that my first return to the Grapevine chronicled a wine bottled here in Cuenca: Conte de la Cruz Vinto Tinto Reserva. Suzanne, after reading it, told me that I need to be including some of my Ecuadorian wine observations on our new blog. O.K. Boss, here goes:

Observation number one: Ecuador is far from being a wine lover's dream come true.
While many come to Ecuador for its reasonable cost of living in such areas as real estate, health care and fresh foods, don't count wine among those things you'll save money on. Ecuador is not a high volume wine producer and while great wines are found in nearby Chile and Argentina (wines from these two countries dominate the shelves here) prices are high. Ecuador imposed high import duties on alcohol a short time ago and is considering raising them in the coming year. The result is that I found many of my Chilean and Argentinian favorites at higher prices here in Cuenca than they were in the USA. Not exhorbitantly higher, but higher nevertheless. Variety is also a little more limited and focuses on basic mainstream varietals, some sparkling and a few dessert wines. While I've only been here just over a week, I'm fairly certain stumbling onto a good Brunello or Nebiolo will be an event worthy of a fairly significant celebration. As a result of costs, the bulk afforability of box wines is popular here. That's a growing trend back in the states, as well. But here, the box selection is still restricted to wines that are fairly fruity and young wines, often produced from second run juices. Nothing wrong with those unless you prefer more complex aged and dynamic wines. Wine is readily available here but it is either costlier or simpler in style or both.

Observation number two: Wine merchants are much less sophisticated here.
That's an economic reality and not a reflection on retail capabilities. With higher prices, less variety and lower wine consumption, Ecuadorian merchants are simply not going to invest in developing sophifisticated wine knowledge and expertise. That might change in the future if consumer demand increases. However, don't currently expect a lot of help in choosing from among the labels (most of whom may be unfamiliar) here. You have to do your own wine homework. You also need to be aware that merchant unfamiliarity with wine may extend to proper display and storage as well. Beware of the mercado proudly displaying nearly his entire selection of wine in one of his front windows. Intense sunlight is one of wine's three worst enemies when it's in the bottle and the uv index here exceeds anything regularly seen in the US.

Observation number three: There ARE opportunities here (as there always are where ever wine is sold) to find some really decent wine values, particularly if you're a red wine drinker. Because of the lower consumption levels here, the larger retailers seem to be regularly willing to offer quantity discounts to keep up inventory turns. Smaller shops do not turn inventory as fast and some of these bottles may stay on the shelf for extended periods. However, if it's a well made red wine capable of ageing and it's adequately stored, it just improves. If the retailer purchased it from the wholesaler before the import increased, he probably has kept the old retail. You potentially have a well aged wine at a better retail than its younger vintage counterpart at the big retailer. This can make for a fun outing, exploring the smaller neighborhood shops in search of these potential gems. Remember, many well made wines will have fairly extensive shelf life if not subjected to oxidation, heat or sunlight.
If you enjoy younger, fruitier and sweeter wines, there are some Ecuadorian products (to the best of my knowledge there are three current wine producers in Ecuador) that will please you at very affordble prices. Other saving alternatives are the afoementioned box wines or a line of wines from a Chilean producer labeled Guyasamin. These wines honor renown Ecuadorian artist Oswaldo Guyasamin who died in 1999 and are produced under license from the charitable foundation in Quito created by his estate. As a result of this and support of the foundation, this wine gets a modification on its tariff and you get a slightly better price point than many of its comparable counterparts.

No, Ecuador isn't a wine lover's dream come true, but wine is available here and with all the lifestyle affordabilities, you certainly don't have to do without a good glass of wine
That's a good thing because Suzanne and i do enjoy an occaisional wine break as we continue juntos en el camino de la vida.

Our first week in Ecuador!

2011-06-23T17:56:00.000-07:00

It's been just over a week since we arrived in Cuenca and it's time to reflect on our experience. As we talked, Roger and I discovered we've both enjoyed the architecture, the mild weather and the laid back life style. We love being able to take long walks and having time to do whatever we decide for the day. However, what has had the most impact on us has been the people, both Ecuadorians and Expadorians. They have accepted and welcomed us into this community so well.
It began with Brennie, who came to our aid, then Miguel, our driver, who helped in getting phones and oriented us to the city and even showed us his favorite Italian restaurant, Bertucci's. Val and Will, good neighbors in every sense of the word who guided us through the co-op, the mercado, the bakery and more. Mick and Kathy hosted an introductory dinner where we met Jim, Angie, Pat and Sue and shared great views of the city, river and stars from their terrace. New landlords Tom and Monica have been more than gracious and we're looking forward to sharing their hospitality and meeting more new friends. While on a walk, we stopped and enjoyed a metal artisan who patiently showed this non Spanish speaking gringa the details of his craft. Neighbor Hugo, a retiree from Quito greeted us so warmly and welcomingly when we met him on a walk and discovered we shared the same edificio. Each and every day brings new acquaintances and new things to fill our calendar of activities. We've bumped into Connie and Mark at Tutto Freddos and Rich and Nancy at lunch. We're looking forward to a coffee with the Kimblers and I even get rid of Roger for an evening when he heads out to the monthly poker night! We are in awe of how this city and its residents have opened their doors and hearts to us and filled our days with not only new places but new relationships to explore.

It hasn't all been a bed of roses....they want how much for Tide at SuperMaxi????? Where do all those speeding and honking vehicles come from just when I want to cross the street???? Someone get that neigborhood rooster a clock...it isn't even close to dawn yet!!! And of course, there's the nightly rendition of the honorary Ecuadorian national anthem: the car alarm!

But all in all, it's as one local ex-pat reminded us recently: I wake up every morning, pinch myself and say "My God, I'm living here in the Andes". Cuenca and Ecuador isn't for everybody...but with each passing day, we think it just may be for us. We are so very grateful to be able to be here.....and to be juntos en el camino de la vida!

Turning Things Around

2011-06-22T07:03:00.000-07:00

In our first two forays into the historico centro of Cuenca, we got twisted around. "You don't usually do that, are you ok?" Suzanne queried. I actually WAS a little rattled. You see, I've always been one of those people with a keen sense of direction and the ability to follow my nose and magically get to where we wanted to be. As a youngster, when we first moved to suburban Pittsburgh, Pa. My father used to always insist I accompany him downtown so he wouldn't get lost. I was not only his third born, I was his organic GPS.

Not suprising therefore, that after two episodes of mis-direction here in Ecuador's third largest city, that I became just a little mildly concerned for my mental and physical well-being. That is until I discoverd the reason for my mild confusion was NOT early onset Alzheimers. It came to me on Tuesday, the 21st of June. The folks up in the northern hemisphere recognize that date as the first day of summer as the sun treks north to warm the cockles of your pea picking hearts. Down here, we're south of zero and the sun's passage over the equator means it's moving away from us. And while it still rises in the east and sets in the west just it does for the norte americanos, we are watching its trek across the sky as we face north instead of facing south as we once did when we resided in the ole US of A.

Good ending...my brief and mild disorientation was NOT due to an organic malfunction, a major disturbance in the "force" or any other threat or crisis. It was just a simple misconception on my part that some things would be the same here as where I was from. That's not an uncommon mistake for newly arrived expat wannabes to make here. But it can sometimes be a hard thing to learn from.

Now that I turned things back around where they should be, I'm delighted to go walking more assurredly and hand-in-hand through the centro with my beloved partner of 40 years. We are confidently again: juntos en el camino de la vida!

OMG! It's Brennie!

2011-06-18T18:32:00.000-07:00

Brenda Eddy had no reason to think that it was anything but another typical morning in Cuenca as she left Edificio La Quadra II following a visit to a pair of good friends. It was then her thoughts were interrupted by an excited shout "Oh my God, it's Brennie!".
Suzanne hadn't reacted like that to seeing someone in person for the first time since the 60's. As a young teen she had screamed when she saw Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits in his first Chicago concert. What had prompted this groupie-fan style outburst decades later at the entryway to an otherwise quiet condomiumium residence in Ecuador?

A recap of the events since our last blog may shed some light: Since then we boarded a flight from Atlanta to Quito enroute to Cuenca for our planned two month stay. The flight went well, arriving late in the evening in Quito. Our first experience with altitude adjustment occurred on a near breathless hike to baggage claim and customs. Things appeared to be going better when 3 of our 4 pieces of checked luggage came off together in the first wave. Our last piece was literally that...last. Needless to say, that led to some quality anxiety time. The anticipated hotel shuttle was not to be found, cell phones were inoperable and no courtesy phones were to be found so we invested an extra half hour arranging transport. It was early am when we finally hit the sack. It appearred booking the later flight to Cuenca on LAN was a wise choice. Not so wise was failing to read LAN's baggage restrictions which were roughly half the weight restiction for Delta. Oh well, a few trips back and forth (not to mention a few extra dollars) and we were on our way. In Cuenca, Roger nearly tripped over the luggage cart laughing as we exited baggage claim. He had immediately recognized our host landlord Bob (of Bob n Rox fame). To insure we could find our ride, Bob was waving a sign that read "The Wine Guy". Bob got us to our apartment and we settled in, armed with some names and phone numbers we could use if we needed help (our landlords were leaving shortly, but more about that to come on their blog...no bean spilling from us!) We didn't have working cells, but we had taken the step of having them unlocked and ready to receive a local sim card, hopefully from the provider convenietly located next door. (Don't wager real money on how that worked out). O.K. We'll just email some local expats we've been in contact with for advice and help. Ooops, we traveled with an I-pad which requires wireless and the apartment only has a direct modem. There were also no unlocked wifi networks showing on our computer. No problem, have the security desk guy call everyone's favorite guide and facilitator Fabian (Bob had wisely written down his name and number).

This brings us to morning in question. Roger is in the parking lot discovering the driver who has arrived is not Fabian, doesn't speak a lick of English, and when inquired about where to go for cell phone service pointed to the Mission Impossible store where Roger had already failed. Suzanne was on her way back into the building to at least retrieve Fabian's name and number when she spied Brenda Eddy on her way out.

Although we had never met, we've been reading her husband Clarke Green's blog for nearly a year and Roger and Clarke connected recently on Facebook. Imagine the excitement at seeing a familiar friendly face. It was a welcome sight in a tempest of confusion. Brennie turned out to a sweet and gracious samaritan, phoning Fabian who in turn sent brother Miguel who got us phone equipped and later that day helped get us oriented to our new city. Brennie even got us introduced to our new neighbors Val & Will. With phones in hand, we advised Mick and Kathy another bag of dog food had found its way to Ecuador. Later Roger found a computer store with wireless modem. We shopped, got to meet George and family plus Rick and Nancy at the California kitchen. We were able to let family at home know we were safe and even began to catch our breath (literally as well as figuratively).
As we watched fireworks from our balcony this evening, we felt exicited and blessed to be here. With a little help from new found friends, we remain juntos en el camino de la vida.

Brief update!

2011-06-13T06:58:00.000-07:00

We havE been on a two week cross country tour. Some of the time has been spent visiting sights we've always wanted to see, some seeing friends, some visiting family. We haven't spent time learning how to do the blog on our I-pad and wireless access has been limited so that's part of the reason for lack of posts(along with the fact that the days seem to go by very fast!). In any case we are in the final preparations for our flight to Ecuador to begin our initial two month stay. We will arriving in Cuenca on Wednesday. We're looking forwarding to not being entirely based in a suitcase and anchored for a while but also lookinug forward to some busy explorations.

More news and posting to come...until then, we are, as always, junto en el camino de la vida!

Packing it in!

2011-05-23T18:27:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy, busy couple of weeks. Countless Expadorians before us know what we're talking about. That last rush before getting ready to head out. The constant questions...did you think to?...no, I thought you took care of that! A hundred and one things crossed off the to do list. Then a coffee break to review where we're at and the list mysteriously grew 102 more items...all crucial and urgent!

Heck and we're not even moving yet!

We are emptying out our apartment, putting everything in storage and preparing to embark on a two week cross country road tour to see things and family. (Nancy and Chuck are our inspirational gurus here!) Then it's off to Cuenca for our first visit. We're planning to be there two months, then return for one final round of madness (preparing to become Expardorians) before we make it permanent. We are excited and looking forward to the journey and meeting many of the folks we've communicated with or have followed on the blogosphere.

As Brennie's Clark is prone to say: "Life is Sweet."

See you all soon, "Juntos en el camino de la vida".

Past Travel Has Helped to Prepare Us For Our Next Adventure:

2011-05-19T17:39:00.000-07:00

Suzanne & Roger

We’re often asked about our many travels. It seems some current as well as future friends are curious about the number of places we’ve lived and have traveled to. It’s flattering to be asked to relate all those adventures but it would probably take too long and we would never get back to our upcoming relocation, the true subject of this blog.

However, to let those who are curious get to know a little more about us and where we've been, this blog will share assorted photos from some of our previous explorations. This will enable us to relate the story of some of our many wanderings in a somewhat briefer fashion. Since our previous few blogs have focused on Suzanne, these photos will feature poses Roger has been caught in during these travels. Warning: some of these are dated and despite the presence of some dark hair strands and unfamiliarity to some, they are, indeed, actual un-photo-shopped photos of Roger.

Here are Roger's landmark poses:

Feeding a friend in Oak Creek Canyon near Sedona, Az.

Getting ready to fly over the Grand Canyon in Arizona

On a family vacation to Key West, Florida

At the helm of the Queen Mary,
now permanently berthed in California.

Setting sail from Vancouver Harbor
in British Columbia, Canada

With Suzanne in Kauai, Hawaii

Roger's favorite chef in Bernal, Mexico

Sitting in ruin (literally) during a tour
on Delos Island, Greece

At Huntington Gardens in
Los Angeles County, California

Outside a restaurant in Istanbul, Turkey

On a castle wall overlooking the harbor in Bodrum, Turkey

Shooting a photo of son Stephen as we climbed
up the Montreal overlook.

With Suzanne and stepmother Mary
on Sannibel Island, Florida

on Coronado Island Island, San Diego, California

On the porch at the Hemmingway house,
Key West, Florida

Taking a break on the Alcatraz prison tour.

Lunchtime in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Roger by a famous statue near
city hall in Florence, Italy

In San Francisco

After whale watching off the coast of
Mazatlan, Mexico.

These are a few of the wonderful places we've been fortunate enough to be able to visit and enjoy. We feel blessed to have had the opportunity to share these experiences with each other. It is because of learning from them that we look forward to the days ahead, "juntos en el camino de la vida".

Great Good Byes!

2011-05-15T15:35:00.000-07:00

A lot of friends are wishing us well as we prepare to head off for our exploratory trip to Ecuador. One of the nicest farewells came from some former associates of Suzanne at her previous place of employment.

Former work associates wish Suzanne farewell at a luncheon at Kincaid's in downtown Phoenix

Suzanne had originally worked with these folks when we first relocated to Arizona because of a job transfer for Roger back in 1999. She took a different position after being laid off in an economic cutback in the middle of last summer. So some of these folks had been co-workers for a decade or so. When we announced her last day at her current employer and the fact we had finally decided to go ahead with our retirement plans and explorations, a former associate, Susan Folz called to have her attend a farewell luncheon of former co-workers.

Susan Folz, luncheon organizer
and Chris Grant were former teammates
with Suzanne at The Arizona Republic

Despite the short notice, there were a dozen of her former teammates in attendance. What a delightful surprise! It was very enjoyable and gratifying to share the time and receive the well wishes of these associates, some of whom Suzanne hadn’t seen for months.

Leaving good friends is always somewhat tinged with nostalgia and a small sense of loss. However, it becomes much easier when you depart with their congratulations and good wishes. It helps to know that we have many friends who understand our sense of excitement, joy and expectation as we continue our adventure:

Juntos en el camino de la vida!

With A Little Help From Our Friends!

2011-05-08T08:56:00.000-07:00

In our last blog, we told the tale of two friends, Kara and Kent, who helped us say goodbye to Suzanne’s favorite car. (They also helped us pack and move when we sold our house and downsized.) The telling of that tale reminded us we have been blessed with help and encouragement from a large number of friends many, many times in our research, planning and preparation for retirement abroad. That list would include two friends, Michele and Chris, who became our realtors. Despite being in the second worst real estate market in the country, they helped sell our house for more than 90% of our asking price in under fifty days.

Friends Lenore and Mike
greeting us at the door last xmas

There’s many more but with this post we want to acknowledge two special friends: Lenore and Mike. Lenore and Suzanne became friends as co-workers better than a decade ago. When Suzanne began to go to sales and flea markets to pare down some of her collectibles, as well as dispose of many of the items we had after the passing of her mother, they “teamed up” on regular occasions to work those events together. We socialized with this great couple during their courtship and were in attendance, as they became man and wife last year.

Lenore and Mike joined us at Roger's
favorite Greek restaurant for his birthday

Suzanne and Lenore posing before
getting back to work selling "stuff"

From loaning folding tables for flea markets to helping us set up and even helping us sell, they’ve been there to lend a hand. They will even provide us lodging during our last couple of days before we head off to visit relatives before flying to Ecuador for our exploratory visit. In short, whether it was lending us a hand or just offering us a break and sanctuary from our daunting tasks of downsizing and researching prior to reaching to our retirement decision, they've always been there as good friends.

Here's a little further pictorial look at this nice couple:

Our hosts prepping for an enjoyable dinner.

The ladies cooling their heels literally!

Mike grilling salmon for us in his back yard.

Lenore and Mike recently celebrated their first wedding anniversary. We acknowledged their special relationship by posting on their Facebook pages: “the next coolest thing to having been married to your best friend for 40 years is to be a newlywed married to your best friend. Congratulations Mike and Lenore”. We’ve spent 40+ years discovering that enjoying life together makes each day special. Lenore and Mike have happily developed that same sense of daily life adventure in their first year. It’s always good to know and appreciate friends who are as we always try to be:

“Juntos en el camino de la vida”

Saying Goodbye Isn't Always To Other People

2011-05-01T09:19:00.000-07:00

Kara and Suzanne at Lunch

Part of the preparation for becoming an ex-pat is saying goodbye. The odd thing is, it’s sometimes more about saying goodbye to customs, habits and things than it is about saying goodbye to people. That was one of the subjects of discussion the other day when Suzanne had lunch with her good friend Kara. Kara and her husband Kent have been close friends since they moved to Phoenix and became co-workers with Suzanne a few years back. We refer to their two Samoyeds, Klondike and Kodiak as our “granddogs”

Suzanne's "Baby": Her 98 BMW Z3 roadster

Suzanne had already discussed with Kara the fact that we’ll be able to stay in touch. We haven’t even made our first trip down and there are already plans afoot for visits and maybe a joint rendezvous in either the Caribbean or Mexico. Nope, the “goodbye” discussion here centered on the fact that Suzanne’s pride and joy, her “98” BMW Z3 roadster, had been sold in preparation for moving out of the country. She was going to miss it and wanted to something special before "turning loose".

Before taking the final top down drive
with Boo-Boo, her faithful "car bear".

We had actually bought this car from Kara and Kent about 6 years ago. Kent is a car buff who has owned nearly as many cars as I have hairs in my beard. He finds fabulous, mint-condition, used cars, buys them, enjoys them for a while and then sells them so he can try something else. Well The Z3 was one of his best finds and once we bought it from him, it quickly became Suzanne’s “baby”.

It was in superb condition and the fact that it still had less 60,000 miles on it meant we got a good price. so Suzanne spent a little extra to have it spotless for its send off. (Patience, we’re finally getting back to the “saying goodbye” part!). Suzanne and Kara decided that in addition to the final top down drive, she and Suzanne should have some photos taken “Thelma and Louise” style to commemorate Suzanne’s last day as owner.

Here are some of the shots of Suzanne saying “goodbye” to her BMW:

Suzanne and Kara alias "Thelma and Louise"

The ladies sharing Suzanne's last moments as the car's owner.

For safety's sake, never hit the road without your car bear on board!

The car is now gone. Hopefully, it will bring as much enjoyment to someone else as it did to Suzanne. As she said after signing over the title: "I've taken care of that car for the past few years, now it's going to help take care of getting me to Ecuador!" And that, dear readers, is how Roger and Suzanne say goodbye to a car before they head on down the road.

Juntos en el camino de la vida!

A Look At San Miguel de Allende

2011-04-21T13:12:00.000-07:00

In our inaugural blog, we announced our intention to become expatriates. Right now we're preparing for an extensive visit to what we currently feel will be our first choice in a new home: Cuenca, Ecuador. The inspiration, however, for our retirement search began in the charming, central Mexico highlands city of San Miguel de Allende. It and its close neighboring city of Guanajuato are among our favorite places to visit in Mexico and it was there that our retirement dreams first blossomed. Should, for any reason, Ecuador not work out as a retirement relocation, it will be an easy-to-make second choice. All this was alluded to in our initial blog and also referred to on South Of Zero (Thanks, Mary for your gracious introduction of our blog and your warm welcome!) This resulted in a number of inquiries and requests from friends (all of whom have been hearing a LOT about Ecuador for months now) about this Mexican city.

Partial scenic view of San Miguel de Allende, Mx.

An unusual architectural style for Mexico
and the city's signature landmark:
Parroquia de San Miguel

So here goes. Before we begin what will surely be many, many posts about our adventures and discoveries in Ecuador, here's some info, with some pictures and commentary gleaned from our visits to SMA (San Miguel de Allende).
Like so many locales in Mexico, the founding of this city traces its roots to a Spanish Franciscan monk establishing a mission there. It grew to prominence because of its location in a highland plain situated between Mexico's early agricultural breadbasket to the east and south and its mining center to the west and north. It figured prominently in the Mexican struggle for independence from Spain. The city's current name honors one of the founders of that struggle, General Ignacio Allende. He is to the Mexican struggle for independence what George Washington was to the U.S. fight for independence from England. SMA nearly became a ghost town but was "rediscovered" in the first half of the 20th century. After WW II the founding of art schools by some ex-patriates led to an influx of americans, many of them GI's looking to utilize the GI bill benefits to study art. Today, both local and ex-patriate artisans as well as writers abound there. With its protected 18th and 19th century architecture, as well as its historical significance in the Mexican independence struggle, it has become a popular tourist destination for anglo visitors as well as middle and upper class Mexicans. Its elevation in the central highland plain offers a moderate climate. Its historico centro, as well as the nearby Scantuario de Atotonilco are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Its centro has century old cobblestone streets and sidewalks, colorful colonial buildings, many plazas and this city contains an estimated 300 churches and chapels.

Suzanne in a plaza
during our first visit to SMA

The area population is about 160,000 of which about 45% live in the city proper. Estimates of year around ex-patriate population ranges from 8,000 to 12,000 (mostly U.S. and Canadian) with several thousand touristas visiting annually. One of its unique characteristics, unlike many Mexican areas that draw anglo residents and visitors, is how well the ex-patriate community has become integrated. While you might find a "gringo ghetto", they are remarkably rare and you will find ex-patriate residents scattered throughout most of the colonias of the city. SMA is home to the largest, privately operated bilingual biblioteca (library) in Latin America. The Biblioteca Publica is run by a volunteer foundation made up of both local and ex-patriate membership. The library offers English classes for locals, Spanish classes for ex-patriates, art classes for youth and does regular fund raisers, including a weekly colonial home tour to fund such community projects as computers for the grade schools in the state of Guanajuato. With the exception of beach resort areas, it has been one of the most costly places to live by Mexican standards with real estate cost rivaling those in the U.S. However, a 20% to 40% decline in real estate value has been noted in the past year or so mostly due to a somewhat shrinking population, the economic decline in the U.S. and the avoidance of Mexico in general due to the publicized drug violence across the country in the past two years. The nearby state capital of Guanajuato (about an hour away) is a little more affordable, much more Mexican and is considered one of Mexico's most beautiful colonial cities (It is!!) Here's more of what you'll see in SMA:

This plaza and its adjacent Jardin face the Parroquia San Miguel and sees a gathering nearly every evening.

Roger enjoying a concert in the courtyard of La Biblioteca Publica
prior to the start of the weekly home tour.
The cane was due to a sprained knee at the time.

A traditional Mexican cocina

The interiors of the homes can be quite traditional and many homes, especially in the centro, will feature rooftop terraces and gardens (Chuck Watson would love these!) Here are shots that reflect what we found during a family vacation with our son Stephen and his girlfriend this past January:

View from a typical rooftop in the centro.

The sala in our vacation rental home.

Roger and Katrinas after the parade.

With limited traffic in the centro, it's quite pedestrian, especially in the evenings. Also, there's always something to do in this city with festivals and concerts and parades that occur regularly. Last year, we were in town during Dias de las Muertos (Days of the Dead). In additional to altars to family members and revered citizens and traditional vists to the panteon, the final night features a "Katrina" parade by expats in which candy is handled out to costumed kids (ala Halloween) who come to the Jardin for the event. In short there's no want for something to do in this festive and active community.

Public concert on Ignacio Allende's birthday.
His former home (now a museum) is in the background.

The kids walking home ahead of us
from the Jardin after an evening out.

A typical street in SMA

Parroquia San Miguel from our rooftop terrace

Roger outside the large botanical gardens during a May visit

Roger at a rooftop wine bar

Popular with tourists, this mounted officer in traditional garb
is also a regular member of the local police force.
We got to see him participate in a response to a police call.

During our family vacation, these ATV's were a
great way to navigate narrow cobblestone streets and explore.

great tile artwork abounds

Suzanne with artists at a student art show.
We bought a watercolor by Daniel (boy on right)

Each of our trips to SMA has included a stop at San Miguel Shoes. A local cobbler created this brand especially for walking on San Miguel's infamous cobblestones. They are also quite fashionable and sell for much more outrageous prices here in the US. From what we've read in the Expadorian blogs we follow, these shoes will probably come in very handy this summer as we walk the streets of Cuenca!

Suzanne trying on her favorite
San Miguel shoes.

Nearby Guanajuato is the state capital and also one of Mexico's beautiful
colonial cities. It is well worth exploring if you're in San Miguel.

That's a very brief look at one of our favorite places and the city that triggered our first serious thoughts about retiring and living out of the country. The wonderful part about our decision to put a priority on Cuenca as a target is that it will almost as easy to visit this part of Mexico from a future home in Ecuador as it has been from our current home in Arizona. We look forward to sharing tales of this wonderful place with our soon to be friends and neighbors in Ecuador.

Until then, we remain, as always: Juntos en el camino de la vida!

A New Beginning!

2011-04-16T13:39:00.000-07:00

Roger & Suzanne

What a ride it has been over the past few months! Our home for more than a decade has been sold. We've done flea markets, consignment shops and visited donation centers to reduce our 40-plus year accumulation of personal possessions. We've restructured our 401-K's, rolled over Suzanne's pension money and calculated budgets at least three dozen different ways. We've read everything from magazines to blogs and have corresponded with ex-patriots and sought advice from people who have lived overseas. We listened with patience to the horrified cautions issued by our friends. We've sought advice and council from our grown son. Our doctors have inspected and examined us in detail and pronounced us fit for travel.

It has finally boiled down to searching our heart of hearts and making a decision. Are we ready to retire? Are we prepared to adopt a whole new way of life? Are we ready to begin the adventure of moving abroad and accepting the challenges of a whole new culture and environment. Can we really make this happen? Is this really what we want to do at this point in our lives? We keep asking ourselves these questions over and over again. The answer has echoed back from the centers wherein our deepest thoughts and feelings lie: Yes! Yes! Yes!

And so it finally begins. After at least two and a half years of contemplation and exploring, we've reached a decision. Within three weeks of this posting, we will both be separated from our jobs and making final preparations for the beginning of our journey. Our first step will be an exploratory two month visit to Ecuador. Cuenca, Ecuador is currently our first choice of retirement locations based on our research. but we've never been there. There's no better way to make the final decision than to just go there and live. Should, it not work out, the central highlands of Mexico, an area we've visited multiple times and dearly cherish will become our home. We are in awe of the options we have before us and we feel truly blessed.

Are there anxious moments? Certainly! Do we sometimes wonder if we've thought everything through? Of course! But are we excited, happy and, at moments, giddy as we once were when we bought our first new home together? Oh yes, indeed! Hand in hand, we look forward to tomorrow and all the challenges and wonder it may bring. We are together on the road of life. Juntos en el camino de la vida!